Sept. 23, 2008
Junior defender Nora Soza takes Stanford fans behind the scenes with the field hockey team in her blog, Soza Says.
Keep checking back for updates. Here's the most recent entry:
Hey everyone! The 2008 season has been an interesting one so far, as trips to Michigan and North Carolina kicked off our season. While not all the games have fallen our way, as a team we try to grow and learn from each win or loss.
As a little background, field hockey is not lacrosse. In all actuality, I would say it is more comparable to soccer, but with sticks and a small, very hard, white plastic dimpled ball. At the highest levels, field hockey is played on artificial turf due to its smooth surface with no divots or mud clumps for the ball to jump on. And yes, we do water the turf before we play and no, we are not insane. Watering the turf actually creates an even and smooth playing surface resulting in fluid passing patterns. A key rule for spectators to know: the ball can only be shot inside the circle in order for a goal to count.
Back to our most recent road trips. Traveling as a team on a large bus is both a blessing and a challenge. Being all together on a bus creates a necessity for interesting activities to keep us entertained. A favorite is a newly-founded tradition of team karaoke. Our karaoke is not the simple sing-along many of you are familiar with. Stanford field hockey karaoke consists of an individual standing in the front aisle of a moving bus, iPod in hand, earplugs snugly in both ears to ensure that the singer can only hear their song selection, and the team can hear every note the singer's lovely voice sings.
Of course, lyrical dancing is greatly appreciated. Picture now, freshman Devon Holman, singing a capella to The Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", reaching out to her lion love, only to have the entire team join in moments later creating a momentous chorus.
Other memorable Michigan karaoke shout-outs include Heather Alcorn singing her own rendition of a Sir Mix-A-Lot hit and Leigh Kaulbach singing the Beatles' "Birthday" only to realize that the majority of the song is not lyrics but rather skillful guitar strumming... "You say it's your birthday! Dun na na na na na na nuh. It's my birthday too - yeah Duh na na na na na na nuh!
On another more stressful note, during our most recent road trip to North Carolina, we ran into a little trouble. After our pre-game meal, Chuck, our bus driver, regretfully informed us that our bus was not starting. Uh oh! Here we were, stuck at Panera Bread Company, a jug of sweet tea in one hand and a grocery size bag of bagels and schmear in the other. We were too far from the hotel to walk back and had to play a game in four hours. Fortunately, our amazing team parents came, minivans and all, to rescue us. That was one of my stranger experiences wondering if a regular-sized car could jumpstart a bus.
I cannot explain how wonderful our team parents are. I mean they are simply amazing. They are our constant cheerleaders at our games, always yelling louder than our opponent's supporters. They give some of the best hugs after games passing on their never-ending support and love for our team. And the food! No one can rival Stanford parents' tailgates. It is always a buffet fit for kings and queens, with everything from BBQ pulled pork and delicious spicy chili, to my very own mother's homemade beans and tortillas, and tomatoes with mozzarella and basil. And the desserts they make are simply mouth-watering: lemon squares, pumpkin cookies, oatmeal butterscotch cookies, chocolate fudge bites and my personal favorite tree-shaped lime flavored jello. Our team can never say thank you enough to our wonderful parents! Thanks again!!!!
Alrighty! Off to a week of practice to get ready to face off against Pacific. Thanks for everyone's support!