Aug. 2, 2008

Team USA Tryouts: Chasing Amy

by Brian Logue, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

CATONSVILLE, Md. - Three years after losing the World Cup for the first time in nearly 20 years, the U.S. women's national team program is poised to begin the final steps towards a new era, and new is the operative word. Quinn Carney is the lone player among the 74 competing in the U.S. team tryouts this weekend at UMBC that suited up for the U.S. in the 2005 World Cup.

It made this summer's trip to the Czech Republic to compete in the Prague Cup all the more valuable for the U.S. team to gain international experience. Gina Oliver found the styles from the international teams a big adjustment.

"[Our] girls are used to playing against the toughest teams in the nation and playing against each other in practice is tough enough," said Oliver. "It's just getting in the habit of reading the other teams and seeing how they play. England was all about speed and getting to the goal cage and we weren't used to that."

The experience was important, but there's no guarantee those players will be standing at the end of the selection process for the 2009 World Cup team. The roster will be pared to 48 players on Sunday.

"We want to keep playing together," said Michi Ellers. "We had a great time in Prague and we just want to continue that for one more year if we can. We're just trying to make this as fun as possible. We know it's mentally draining, but we're going to get through tryouts together."

In some ways the member of the touring team have the benefit of experience, but it's still a stressful process. For the more experienced players, a cut could mean the end of competitive lacrosse.

"There's a possibility of retirement on Sunday," said Ellers, who graduated from Georgetown in 2004 and now coaches at her alma mater. "In a way you're okay with it because you know the coaches want the best from this batch and there's so much unbelievable talent here. It's going to be really tough for them. You know, you can just do your best. You can only control what you can. You just try and make it work - stand out when you can and be the best teammate basically."

"It's stressful, but at this point and time for the touring team it's at that point where you just come out here and play your game," said Oliver, a 2005 graduate of Ohio State now coaching at Duquesne. "If you get cut, you get cut. If you don't, you don't, which is great. We formed that bond in Prague. We're like we got here, if we're cut after this then we had a blast. If we're not, we're coming back to get the gold back."

Yes, the gold.

Despite Carney being the lone player on that '05 team, it's been the clear driving factor for many of these players the past three years since the U.S. team's loss to Australia in Annapolis, Md.

"It's on our mind every day," said Oliver. "[Quinn] just keeps reminding us saying, 'guys you have no idea what it feels like to have it taken away from you'. The urge is there. We're hungry and it starts here."

NOTES
Becky Clipp, a 2007 graduate of Maryland that played on the U.S. Developmental team in 2007-08, suffered an apparent broken jaw after being hit with a shot during Saturday morning's practice session...Elizabeth Pillion, a member of the touring team to the Czech Republic this summer, elected to pull out of the tryouts on Thursday...Mallory Poole, a member of the 2007-08 U.S. Developmental team from C.W. Post, is the lone player at the tryouts not from a NCAA Division I school.