Earlier this week I read something that made me do a double-take to make sure what I was skimming through was actually legitimate. And after a little bit more research, I discovered that it was.
The Arizona State women’s soccer team was selected to be one of the 64 teams across the nation that will participate in the upcoming 2009 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament.
Now this probably seems uneventful for those of you who haven’t followed Pac-10 soccer this year, but here’s the kicker: ASU went 2-6-1 in conference play this year. Yes, two wins, six losses and one tie. And for that, they are rewarded with a dream come true for so many collegiate athletes, to play in the NCAA tournament.
My surprise and slight frustration with all of this is the fact that the Oregon team was not selected to continue on with its season after similarly struggling their way through the Pac-10. Call it what you will, but I can’t help but feel empathetic for the Ducks after not receiving a tournament bid.
In all, eight Pac-10 schools — ASU, California, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State —received NCAA tournament bids, while Oregon and Arizona were both left to dwell on what could have been. I don’t mean that the Ducks should have been included in post-season play, because their conference record was nowhere near what it needed to be. But when Oregon tallies as many overall wins as ASU and played almost every conference opponent closely, it’s tough to say that they outright don’t belong.
As both a student and a sports reporter, I feel like I grow somewhat invested in the teams that I spend my time covering. When I watch the games, I find myself with a sense of nervousness because I want to see the team excel in every facet of the game. And the more time I spend around players, coaches, practices and games, my interest grows exponentially. That’s why it was so tough for me to see the women’s team not make it to the tournament this season.
It seemed like every time I spoke with one of the seniors, particularly Dani Oster and Danielle Sweeney, there was a consistent underlying emphasis on what the tournament meant to them. Seeing a group of individuals go without a winning conference record over the course of their careers can truly bring out the character in a team. And this year’s team was no exception. They showed up every day to work hard and ultimately came up short.
But I suppose that just comes with the territory of playing in a conference as dominant as the Pac-10 is in women’s soccer. Other than No. 1 Stanford and No. 4 UCLA, the Ducks were never physically out-matched, but wins were still hard to come by. And as the season wore down, head coach Tara Erickson and her team wanted nothing more than to win. The preparation was undoubtedly there, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year.
For me — granted, I have a limited soccer background — I was more than impressed with watching the way the women performed. Losing game after game when they mattered the most takes a toll on any athlete, but as Oregon showed this season, there is a right way to go about it. And despite where they finished, I can honestly say it was a pleasure to be involved with the team, and I look forward to working with them again in the future.
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