Four 'Hawks Lead Club Teams to Nationals
8/2/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
OXFORD, Ohio - While most college soccer players are reporting to training camp in preparation for the upcoming 2012 season after enjoying a relaxing summer, Miami sophomore Kelsey Dinges and freshman Lauren Mathews come to Oxford having just completed a season - with their club teams. And not only did they play for their club teams, they helped lead them to the U.S. Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) National Championship Series.
Both Dinges and Mathews played their final round-robin match at the National Championships, which were held in Rock Hill, S.C. this summer, on July 27. They then had to report to Miami's training camp July 31, leaving them little summer vacation. But both viewed playing right up until the start of the RedHawks' season as a positive.
"I think the huge thing is being able to play with top players all summer. That helped keep the intensity up and also helped me stay in shape," said Mathews, who hails from Hamilton, Ohio and attended Badin High School. "It's easier to workout with multiple people than by yourself so that was a big thing."
Dinges, a native of Smithton, Ill. near St. Louis, also noted the importance that playing over the summer had on her conditioning.
"My touch is obviously good now," noted Dinges, who scored two goals and added two assists in her first year as a midfielder for the RedHawks. "I've been playing since the beginning of June with my club team. My game fitness is definitely at a higher level than I was coming in last year."
Dinges, who played for the St. Louis Scott Gallagher (SLSG) U-19 team over the summer, joked that the fitness tests players have to pass when returning to campus was a popular topic among her teammates, all of whom play collegiate soccer. Miami held its fitness testing on Tuesday, the first day back.
Although Dinges may have to face some of her former club teammates down the road, as she played with girls who suit up for the likes of Kentucky, Nebraska, Denver, St. Louis and other teams, she said she made several new friends during the memorable experience as well.
Making it to Rock Hill for the USYSA National Championship Series was no easy feat however, as after SLSG won the state title, which required just one victory, they advanced to the Region II championship. At regionals, Dinges' squad played three games of pool play (though the third game was irrelevant as SLSG had already clinched a spot in the next round which led to some friendly juggling competitions between the teams) to earn a spot in the semifinals and then won the regional title game, 3-1, to move on to nationals.
The National Championship Series also consisted of three pool play games from July 25-27 though SLSG did not have quite the same success, going 1-2, which eliminated them from the tournament. Dinges led SLSG to its lone win, which came in its second game, as she scored the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute to break a 1-1 tie and knock off the Clay County Soccer Club (Fla.), which was actually the team that went on to capture the national title.
Mathews suffered a similar fate with her U-18 club team, Cincinnati Soccer Alliance, at nationals. The midfielder helped her squad win both the state cup and the Midwest Regional League (MRL), either of which qualifies her team for regionals, where they were also victorious in Region II. Like SLSG though, Cincinnati Soccer Alliance went 1-2 in pool play at nationals, winning their final match, as they finished third in country "which still isn't too bad," Mathews was quick to point out.
Mathews also saw her experience with the club team as a great way to get acclimated to college soccer. All but two of her teammates were moving on to a college team this fall, some of which she'll face this season as the team had players going to Ohio State, Toledo, Ohio and Indiana State, among others, the final three of which are on Miami's 2012 slate.
"I think it definitely makes me feel more comfortable (entering college), just knowing what other competition you'll go up against," Mathews said. "It showed me that you can't ever let up because everyone at this level everywhere on the field is just as good as you and sometimes better so you always have to do your best."
Although Dinges and Mathews fell short of national titles, Miami does have a pair of freshmen coming on board who have won a USYSA national championship as Jess Bronke and Lauren Kelly did so together in 2011 as part of the NSA Premier Fury U-17 team.
"It was a good feeling," Kelly said of winning the whole thing. "I'll never have that chance again with my club team so it's something special I'll carry with those girls."
After finishing third at USYSA nationals in 2010, the incoming RedHawk duo helped guide the Fury to a MRL title, advancing them to the Region II Championship. Although they fell in the semifinals, the Fury won the USYSA National League, which automatically clinched a berth in the National Championship Series, held in Phoenix.
Despite not winning the regional title, NSA Premier Fury redeemed itself, going 2-0-1 in pool play in Phoenix to advance to the national championship game. In the title game, the Fury knocked off the U-17 SLSG team (the same organization that Dinges played for), 2-0, to capture the crown.
Similar to Dinges and Mathews' teams, all but one girl on the U-17 NSA Premier Fury team is off to college this year, heading to schools such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern and SMU, among others. Even with the tough competition in practice and in the National Championship Series, the first few days of training camp have proven tough for both Bronke and Kelly.
"I thought my club would (prepare me) but once I got here it's a lot more different than I thought it would be," Bronke said of the collegiate level. "It's harder. It's a lot more competitive at practice than it was in club."
Kelly echoed her teammate, adding "We're all trying to prove ourselves to a new coach. At club everything was familiar so it is like a proving ground here."
With practice proving tougher than expected, the two agreed it's nice to have a former teammate on the pitch with them.
"It's good to see a familiar face out there and we know how each other play so we can play off of each other very well," Kelly noted. "But we have to learn how to play with everyone else, so it's nice but it's still a learning process."
As practice continues under the steamy sun, both Bronke and Kelly know the type of commitment needed to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
"The commitment we put in before nationals, we put in three weeks of everyday practice to play for it," Bronke said. "We knew how hard we'd have to work for it so I think that will translate to here (Miami)."
"It definitely helps because in preseason right now with training every day and two-a-days, we can push through it because we know we did it training for nationals," Kelly concluded.
With three incoming freshmen having played for national titles and Dinges returning in near mid-season form, as well as most of the rest of the 2011 squad coming back, including three All-MAC performers in senior Jess Kodiak and juniors Katy Dolesh and Kayla Zakrzewski, Miami appears to have the necessary ingredients to win its ultimate goal of a Mid-American Conference championship.
--MURedHawks.com--
