Nov. 11, 2010

NOV. 10, 2010

It's been a whirlwind past couple of days here on the East Coast. From our NorPac Conference Tournament to the NCAA Play-In game, we've been living like rockstars. Each day is a new adventure and we're fighting to play another day.

Of course with traveling, we always have some great experiences with transportation. During our time in North Carolina for the conference tournament we had a hilarious bus driver. `Big Mike' as his placard said above his seat, was a smooth operator. We listened to R&B and jazz while reading under the hue of the green lights of the bus. There must have been something in the music, because we had a great showing at the tournament and took the title for the fourth year in a row. Our travels were now taking us to Massachusetts for the NCAA Play-In game.

Continuing our rockstar status, we awoke at 5 a.m. to catch our flight. Because finding 25 last minute plane tickets is a bit difficult, we had to split onto two separate flights. Each group had fun taking pictures of how their journey was more fun. Anna Simmons sent a team email of her trying on a bunch of funky hats at an airport store. She certainly had my vote for the best use of time at the airport.

After we all finally arrived, it was time to focus in to play UMass. We had early bed times and Katherine Donner wore her onesie, footy pajamas for optimal comfort.

We were confident in our preparation for the game and even though UMass gave us a great battle, we were on a mission. Our win put us with the chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet Sixteen round. We will head back to North Carolina to compete against UNC, a déjà vu from earlier this season. We're excited to keep our rockstar lifestyle rolling!

- Heather

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OCT. 5, 2010

It has certainly been a whirlwind past couple of weeks here on The Farm! With the start of classes and a road trip to the East Coast, we have all been managing to keep ourselves pretty busy. The new freshmen have adjusted quickly to the lifestyle of a true Division I student-athlete, running from class to class and finding time for homework in the locker room.

Only a week into the start of lectures, we were en route to North Carolina for a two-game road trip against No. 1 North Carolina and No. 8 Wake Forest. We were excited for the challenge of playing against a pair of top-10 teams. Upon our arrival, the California girls (including myself) were in for a real treat in the form of weather! We were on the bus heading to our hotel from the airport in a huge lightning storm. From the front of the bus we had a perfect view of the pouring rain and huge bolts. It was a change from the 90-degree weather we had just left behind. After surviving our ride, we hit the pillow for the night in preparation to play North Carolina.

The North Carolina game was a great fight and even though we didn't walk away victorious, we learned a lot as a team. With our confidence still high, we were itching to play our next game against Wake Forest. The night before our game, we went out for a team dinner and played a full round of telephone. We bullied Xanthe Travlos a bit for her slight hard-of-hearing problem after she managed to change the statement around. We spent most of the night joking around before going to bed.

After a great night of rest, everyone was focused and ready for the game. The opportunity to play another great field hockey powerhouse excited us all. After an early bout of nerves, we pulled together and came up with an awesome win. The greatest moments during the game were the celebratory fist pumps from head coach Tara Danielson. After our first score, she displayed some rodeo-like skills! When we found the back of the net for the second time, she showed extreme fist-pumping action. I don't think she's going to live these down for awhile!

Now we're gearing up to take on Harvard in a battle of East and West Coast pride!

- Heather

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SEPT. 12, 2010

Our first cross-country road trip of 2010 has brought successful results so far!

We've been enjoying our time in Ohio without homework and classes to worry about. After arriving late in Cleveland and taking a bus to our hotel, we were ready for a good night's sleep. The next morning, we were in game mode and preparing for a tough match against Kent State. They put up a good fight, but we were victorious in the end!

During the game, I could hear our parents cheering so loudly. It is always so fun to see how much support we have, even when we are in the middle of the country.

One of the most exciting aspects of a road trip is visiting the hometowns of some of the players. After our dramatic overtime win against Iowa on Saturday, Kat Swank welcomed us into her home for an amazing home-cooked meal. We ogled over her collection of horseback riding ribbons and laughed at her baby videos. The freshmen also provided some entertainment with a great rendition of a Miley Cyrus song. Anna Simmons, another Ohio native, had her parents special-deliver ice cream found only in Ohio. It was shipped on dry ice!

When traveling, it's neat to see the reactions of locals when a group of 25 people invade their quaint restaurants. We always seem to have such great hospitality and kind servers. During one dinner at a homey Italian restaurant, we had tons of inquisitive diners asking us about our team and where we were from. It's fun to feel like a celebrity for a few days!

We have one game left in Ohio before we head back to Stanford! We're aiming for a sweep out here!

- Heather

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SEPT. 1, 2010

Our 2010 season is underway! We've been keeping ourselves plenty busy in the dorm rooms during our time off the field. These past few weeks have been filled with painting watercolors in the dorm, soaking in a few rays and of course partaking in plenty of naps.

One of the long-standing traditions held during every preseason is a dance-off between the fall teams. The freshmen classes of women's soccer, men's soccer, women's volleyball and field hockey spend weeks preparing a dance for all to watch. Judges, usually represented by select upperclassmen with an eye for spectacular dance moves, rate the routines. Our freshmen fit their entire bodies into baggy sweatshirts and hopped around the room. They gave a great performance and made the field hockey team proud!

Between all of the fun off-field traditions, we've been working hard on the turf. We are improving as a team every minute and our season opener at Pacific was a good showing. We were all really excited to play our first game and we even had special, wacky hair-styles to sport our enthusiasm. Maria Posa, our resident hair stylist, helped us all to look our best for the big game.

Aside from the fun hair and first bus ride, we had our game faces on. The game was well-battled on both ends and it was nice to have our first win of the season. It was awesome to have contributions from so many members of the team, from freshmen to seniors. On the way home to Stanford, we had a private singing by the renowned Emily Henriksson, whose rendition of "Ave Maria" was incredible. All in all, it was a successful trip!

Now we're gearing up for a Labor Day weekend of games against UC Davis and No. 7 Michigan State. This will be a great test of our preseason work and show us where we are at as a team. Until then, we'll be on the turf or likely catching some zzz's!

- Heather