August 25, 2008

Orzechowski Chronicles Women's Soccer Trip

As the Bryant Women's Soccer begins its journey in Division-1, senior co-captain Amy Orzechowski (Milford, Conn.) is chronicling the team's journey as they sight-see and take on Northern Colorado and Wyoming in their first games of the season.

Day 1
Today we left for the airport at 4:30 in the morning. The flight went smoothly and we arrived in Colorado by 10:30 am Mountain time so, 12:30 Rhode Island time. We were all extremely tired when we arrived but we were quickly pulled out of our slump when we had a Paula Abdul sighting in the Denver airport. We then picked up the vans and on our way to the hotel we stopped at Chili's for a quick pre-practice meal. We checked into the hotel, settled in for an hour or so, and continued on to the fields at the University of Northern Colorado for practice. The field was in tip-top shape which got us excited to play on Friday night. After practice we got take out from Olive Garden and stopped at the grocery store to pick up breakfast for the morning.  Then it was an early lights-out because of our long day of travelling. 

Day 2
Today we woke up to watch the 7 am Brazil v. US Olympic Women's Soccer final match. The US won the gold medal, scoring the lone goal of the game in the 7^th minute of overtime. After the game we loaded into the vans and went on a scenic drive through the Rocky Mountain National Park. The scenery was amazing and we reached elevations of over 12,100 feet above sea level.  Along the trail we saw rams and other animals right along the road so some of us jumped out of the vans to take pictures of them.  Today was also the start of our scavenger hunt which includes taking pictures with or in various things or places in Colorado. We have until we get back to Rhode Island to complete the list. On our way back down the mountains we finally stopped for lunch at a local deli. After lunch we headed back toward the hotel and on the way we stopped to go horseback riding. Even with our novice abilities to ride and the temperaments of the horses, we were able to make it through the rough terrain unscathed. Although it sounds heroic, we never went faster than a walk and the most excitement on the ride was the consistent bowel movements of the horses. From there, we went to the fields at NCU and had a late practice before retiring back to the hotel for a delicious dinner of shrimp scampi, chicken penne, and eggplant parmesan.

Day 3
Today we woke up at 9 and had a team breakfast. After breakfast we reconvened at 10:30 to go shopping at outlets in a nearby town. We had a 90 minute limit on our outing with the threat of sprints if we arrived late back at the vans. Most girls seemed to have a successful shopping trip. In preparation for our 7:00 game, the rest of the day we laid low at the hotel having a late lunch from a sub shop. We went to the fields for 5:00 and did our usual pregame ritual. We were playing well together for most of the first half but we were unable to capitalize on our opportunities. At the end of the first half we were tied 0-0. We came out in the second half ready to go but in the first 15 minutes NCU managed to put in 2 quick goals, the first being on a free kick and the second on a corner. After the second goal we really had to step up our game if we wanted to catch up. In the last 11 minutes Brooke Duchaney and Alex DiPippo popped in 2 goals off free kicks. We were back in the game and ready for overtime. Shortly after our second goal Katie Mitchell made the save of the game keeping us in the running. With 15 seconds left in overtime Brooke played a perfect ball across the 18 to Kaitlyn Hinck who took a touch and hit a far post shot right past the keeper for the win giving us the first D-1 win for Bryant University!!!!

Day 4
Today we left the hotel in Colorado at 10 am for Laramie, Wyoming. On our way we stopped to climb up some big rocks at a National Park. While some of the team climbed to the top others stopped mid way to feed a chipmunk apple juice. We also made a stop in the town of Beauford which had a population of 1. When we finally arrived to Wyoming we pulled into our hotel which had a sign in front of it that said, "Go Cowgirls Soccer Beat the Bulldogs". We then went to a local Subway which was attached to a Walmart. Everyone in the Subway and Walmart knew about our team coming to play their "cowgirls". We quickly realized that the people in this town were passionate about their local college. After that we went to the field for a quick practice and then went out to a little restaurant followed by dessert at Sonic.

Day 5
Today we woke up and enjoyed a delicious continental breakfast at our hotel. We left the hotel at 10:40AM and headed to the University of Wyoming training facilities. When we first arrived, we found that our locker room door was locked. Once someone came and opened the door, we got ready in the locker room and chose our sandwiches from a nearby eatery. The game proved to be a challenge for our team. After a tough and exciting win Friday night, our team was fatigued. We battled through all 90 minutes and faced the adversity of playing at 8,000 feet above sea level. The Bulldogs got an early 1-0 lead, but fell to the Cowgirls 3-1. After the game, we enjoyed our sandwiches, loaded into the vans, and drove about 2 hours back to Colorado. One of the vans was lucky enough to stop at a thrilling attraction: the World's Best Cinnebuns. We finally got back to the hotel and relaxed in preparation for Tucker Flint's Annual Pool Party. At 7:45PM the team walked over to Waffle House for a scrumptious meal. It turned out to be one of the waitresses' birthdays, so in true Bulldog fashion, we sang to her. The food was very good, and it was a first time trip for much of our team. Ashley Montgomery won the Waffle House Coloring Contest. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for our 6:00AM wake-up call in order to catch our 9:00AM flight back to the East Coast.