They've Still Got It!!

Spring Season and Alumnae Game

    This spring season sure was a battle... with the weather that is!!  For our six spring practices, and Alumnae game, the coaching staff had three different surfaces booked EVERY time to be prepared for anything!  

Brit Chase takes on the Alumnae on the dribble.

    We began indoors in Lund Arena on the turf for our first practice back, finding our touch, getting reacquainted with how one another plays, and just playing a whole lot of small sided soccer!  We followed up with a 3v3 tournament in our racquet ball courts, nicknamed Da Sneaka Soul, with Team Timbs: Emily Papagapitos, Kirsten Palan, and Heather Goff taking the title!!

   The weather finally started to cooperate and we were able to get out onto Hollingsworth Field turf (football stadium) for practices three, four and five.  Mixing in a series of drills to work on communication and first touch with a whole lot of playing.  There were 2v2 games, 3v3 games, 4v4, 6v6, 8v8... we nearly hit them all!

Alumnae possess, but are pressured quick.

   FINALLY after what seemed like forever, we were able to get on our practice fields for the final practice of the Spring Season.  We had a 3v3 street soccer tournament, complete with a match-up board, with the teams switching every game.  

A running joke throughout the Spring Season,
Coach Burnett-Kurie ties Amanda Cartony's
ribbon in her hair... she's allowed to wear it
(much to Coach's dismay) if she "cele's"
every time she scores a goal this fall.

   A constant throughout all Spring Season were our individual team competitions.  Each individual player could win points in ANY small-sided game to be crowned "Rooball Champion".  They were awarded 6 to 10 points for a win, 1 for a tie, 3 for a shutout, and a point for EVERY goal scored.  That's a lot of points to calculate folks!  Next there was our "Chase Brit Cup", named for freshman Brit Chase who was the only student-athlete to come in and get ZERO points on her preseason fitness testing.  So you guessed it, this was our fitness competition for the spring.  For being the first 3 or 4 members of the team to complete a fitness exercise these girls were awarded points.  No competition would be complete without an overall champion though... This competition started out named "Champion of the World", but was quickly renamed by the team... "QUEEN OF THE WORLD"  because after all, isn't soccer your world?!  It's absolutely ours!!  This member of the team would be the player who amounted the MOST OVERALL points throughout both competitions...  All winners have yet to be announced, so you're going to have to wait patiently like the rest of the team. :)

   Our culmination of Spring Season was a blustery, but awesome Alumnae game!  We had 12 alumnae return, including current seniors: Nikki Carlson, Tam Meuwissen, Maggie Lane, Kristin Moen, and Meghan Zenner '13 as well as Meghan Faricy'11, Karen Stenoien '11, Abby Maus '11, Nicole Kwapick '11, Mackenzie Del Santro '11, Meghan McMillan '12 and Nicole Ektuitphong '15 who took it to the current Gusties and were able to squeak out a win on Meghan Faricy's single goal for a 1-0 WIN.  After the game, alums and current Gusties mixed over burgers, hot dogs and a few veggie burgers while they caught up on life, soccer and all things Gustavus and otherwise.  All and all it was a great exclamation point on a quick, fun, hard working Spring Season!  

Current Women's Soccer Gusties and Alumnae unite after the battle!

We know for a fact the current Gusties are already fired up over their loss and ready for next year's rematch... Alums, you better start training now!!  We can't wait to have you all back again next year!