SENSE OF URGENCY: Tigers 2, Bulldogs 3 (Blog date September 23, 2013)

Texas Southern Tigers 2, South Carolina State Bulldogs 3
W-D-L: 0-0-9                     5-1-6                                    
September 22, 2013
1:00 pm @ Texas Southern University, Houston

I know, I know. The big round goose egg leaps out at you from the wins column of TSU's stats sheet. But if I told you that I think the Tigers are done, I'd be lying to you, because every instinct I've developed over the decades of studying this game, the immeasurable impact of hours and hours of training and coaching, and the constant reflection obsession brings, compels me to believe that the Tigers are just now about to begin, just in time for the conference segment of the season. Actually, to me, the 46th minute of this match marked the beginning. Down by two goals at the half, TSU came out and played the next 45 minutes with a passionate sense of urgency, finishing as the dominant team. They shut South Carolina State out and won the second half on a brilliantly placed shot by Gabriella Perales. Though the final score still had the Tigers behind, this second half exemplifies exactly what I have been talking about all along. This TSU squad has what it takes.

My coaching instincts want me to tell it the way a coach would, so I will put it in words the only way I know how. Tigers, you have had many moments of brilliance throughout this first half of the season. As we face the most crucial matches of our lives just ahead of us, this is what we need to do - we must embrace all of those moments of brilliance we have scattered throughout the past nine matches, envision them as we walk out onto the pitch, and weave them together into a single 90-minute span. We have to play with the brilliance that we know we are capable of, and we have to do it for 90 minutes straight over and over and over until the end. This sense of passionate urgency that we brought forth in that last half we just played must be applied from the opening whistle to the final whistle. We must summon this sense of urgency again and again because that is what this next part of the season is calling for. Every moment of the match has to count, every movement you make must be meaningful, every touch on the ball must be of the highest quality. Difficult, you say? I say yes, of course it is. Nobody ever said that the road to a championship is easy. The road to a championship is littered with hardship, obstacles and challenges. But those are what make a championship worth winning. That is what makes all the work, the sweat, the pain, the blood, the years upon years that you have devoted to this way of life all worth it. Challenge brings about brilliance. We will face our challenges with the brilliance we know we have, and we will overcome - because that is what champions do.

Janell Cash (7) takes control of the ball under pressure from Ysamar Alonso (23). All over the field, Janell kept the TSU defense busy throughout the first half. Her first half goal put the Bulldogs back up on top. The junior midfielder transferred from Spartanburg Methodist College where she scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists last season.

Janell (7) faces Kaylah Valdry (2), Kailand Thompson (14) and Marlyn Campa (5) in different parts of the field.

Marlyn Campa (5) surveys her options. Finesse, speed and creativity are Marlyn's trademark strengths.

Marlyn Campa (5) makes a move against South Carolina State's Rachel Pearce (8) from England and Amelia Green (28), who has been capped by the Antigua and Barbuda national team.

The Tigers' second-half urgency produced numerous chances for Marlyn Campa (5) and freshwoman striker Ruth Giraldo (6), forcing Canadian defender Kaitlyn O'Neill (2) and Kaitlynn Penner (6) to step it up.

Ruth Giraldo (6) has developed into an effective offensive threat for TSU.

Ruth (6) gets past Justina Jarema (3) on the right side.

Aggressively looking for opportunities, this slide into goalkeeper Haley Austin resulted in a caution for Ruth (6).

South Carolina State's sophomore keeper Haley Austin (16) was tested over and over and over in the final 45 by a TSU offense playing with a sense of urgency.

This shot by Gabriella Perales got over Haley and squeezed in under the crossbar.

Gabriella Perales's (9) senior leadership and uncompromising work ethic is a key to TSU's success in their Southwestern Athletic Conference quest.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

UPCOMING MATCHES OF THE WEEK: 

Friday Sep 27 Northwestern State University (#260) @ HBU* 7:00 pm (Southland Conference)

Saturday Sep 28 Mississippi College (DIII) @ CTX (DIII)* at St. Stephen's, Austin 2:00 pm (American Southwest Conference)

Sunday Sep 29 Rice @ UTSA* 1:00 pm (Conference USA)

Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#227) @ U of H* 7:00 pm (American Athletic Conference)

Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#50) @ Rice* 7:00 pm (C-USA)

Sunday Oct 20 Mississippi Valley State University (#275) @ TSU* 1:00 pm (SWAC)

Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#20) @ U of H* 7:00 pm (AAC)

Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#322) @ TSU* 7:00 pm (SWAC)

Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#97) @ Rice* 1:00 pm (C-USA)

Thursday Oct 31 LSU @ Tx A&M* 7:00 pm in College Station (Southeastern Conference)

Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#233) @ HBU* 5:00 pm (SLC)

Monday Nov 4 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Wednesday Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Thursday Nov 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals* @ Rice 
Friday Nov 8 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Saturday Nov 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Saturday Nov 9 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final* @ Rice
Friday-Wednesday Nov 15-20 NCAA Tournament 1st Round @ Campus TBA

(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend. Schedule subject to change.) 

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)

NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN vs TEXAS SOUTHERN TIGERS, GEORGIA BULLDOGS vs HOUSTON COUGARS - KOKOY'S MATCHES of the WEEK PREVIEW (Blog date August 21, 2013)

Friday Aug 23 University of North Texas (#55) @ Texas Southern University (#312) 7:00 pm

Well, the cancellation of last Friday's local derby between Rice and the University of Houston, while understandable in the inclement weather, was still quite a let-down. It was to be the only opportunity we have this year of seeing these two intra-city rivals on the pitch now that they are once again competing in different conferences. I dream of one day seeing a pre-season tournament for the Houston-area schools, a Houston College Cup, if you will, in which U of H, Rice, Texas Southern University, Houston Baptist, Sam Houston State, Prairie View A&M, Lamar and the newly established University of St. Thomas women's teams go head-to-head for local supremacy. Until then, we will have to be content with the occasional non-league derby pitting schools within the city against each other, though none is as heated as the Cougars-Owls series that has gone on for a long time.

North Texas may be newcomers to Conference USA, but winning in the city of Houston is nothing new to the Mean Green. Over a one-week period last August, North Texas played a trio of  Houston-area schools and pummeled them by an aggregate 9-1. Indeed, the green means have yet to compile a losing record since the program was established in 1995, and the northerners are coming off one of the most successful campaigns  they have ever had, tying their single-season record of 16 wins, with two draws and five losses, on their way to a double Sun Belt Conference league and cup championship. One of those draws was against eventual Big 12 tournament champions Baylor who made it all the way to the national round of 16, and two of the losses were against teams ranked in the nation's top twenty, including #16 Long Beach State with Philippine National Team Maldita All-American Nadia Link, whom they took into overtime. UNT has been on a roll for almost twenty years, and the way things look now, it ain't stopping any time soon. Three fourths of the attack largely responsible for producing last season's staggering +26 goal differential is still around. Together, Karla Pineda, Kelsey Hodges and Amber Haggerty contributed 22 of the Green's 48 total goals. Even without the Sun Belt's third leading goalscorer Michelle Young who graduated with a team-high 10 goals, these three may still pose an even meaner threat than last year. Attacking from her center-back position, Kelsey managed seven goals while striker Amber finished second on the team with eight. But the most dangerous player on the green will continue to be center-midfielder Karla, who not only scored seven goals herself, but assisted on another seven as a freshman. The Green defensive line features three senior returning starters - Hodges, Tori Adame and Shelly Holt. Sophomore Tess Graham accrued so much valuable experience winning the Sun Belt double and seeing significant action in the national tournament, she may play like a senior. With 6'1" junior keeper Jackie Kerestine, I am predicting this UNT squad to be the cinderella team of Conference USA.

Karla's Mean Green generation will no doubt be coming to Houston with loads of confidence. Since the 2010 season, UNT has outscored its next Houston-based opponent 19 to zero. But they will be met by a TSU squad quite different from the one they saw last year. The Tigers began the season struggling through two wins and a spate of defeats. But as their schedule wore on, they caught their groove and finished strong, stringing together four wins in their final six matches. This TSU squad is on an upward trajectory, and this young team is aggressive, persistent and operates at a level of intensity that matches anyone out there. The center of TSU's Durley Field is Marlyn Campa's turf. Whatever intention Karla Pineda is coming home to Houston with, the Aldine High School product will have to get through Marlyn to do it. There is no other center-midfielder in this city I can think of with more ability and intensity to neutralize a playmaker like Karla than the Tigers' Marlyn, who I suspect will harass the Mean Karla tightly to slow and limit her turns, forcing her to dish the ball laterally rather than forward and diagonally towards Amber. I look forward to seeing Marlyn's takeaways in the middle, releasing the ball quickly to Sarah Glenn or Briona Reid down either flank.

This is shaping up to be an explosive showdown between two young but very effective sophomore midfielders in the middle of the park.

The center of Durley Field belongs to Marlyn Campa (white 3), as Southern's Jami Blackston (blue 3) discovered last season.

Sunday Aug 25 University of Georgia (#94) @ University of Houston (#126) 1:00 pm

It is always interesting to me to see a soccer team from a school that is known to be a traditional powerhouse in a different sport. This matchup on Sunday pits the Bulldogs of  Georgia, giants in the American football arena, against the Houston Cougars, whose basketball program has produced some of the greatest players to ever grace an NBA court (Hayes, Hakeem, Drexler). But American football and basketball will be far from the minds of those of us sitting in the stands this Sunday at the Carl Lewis International Complex, the new home of the University of Houston soccer team since the demolition of Robertson Stadium at the end of last season. What we will witness are two programs bouncing back from the disappointments of 2012.

Georgia will be coming to Houston looking to start fresh after an injury-plagued season that finished with the second worst record in school history at only seven wins, 11 losses and two draws. The Bulldogs are not accustomed to winning percentages of less than 50. They have experienced losing season records only three times since 1995. They have qualified to the national tournament eight times in the past two decades. Their two-game stand in the Lone Star State starting in Austin on Friday against the University of Texas and culminating at Houston on Sunday will see the long-anticipated return of Laura Eddy, one of Georgia's most prized recruits, coming back from two torn ACLs that sidelined her for entire back-to-back seasons. If their pre-season 9-0 annihilation of The Citadel last week is any indication, Georgia is taking a no-prisoners approach to 2013.

What the Bulldogs will encounter this Sunday will be a Cougar squad which is also out for blood. A team brimming with quality, Houston underachieved last season (see my blog entry dated Nov 18, 2012), and senior center-midfielder Kylie Cook will be determined to turn it around before she graduates. A rebuilt backline with one returning starter in Danielle Muñoz will play like they have alot to prove against a young Bulldog striking unit that includes just one senior in its ranks, Nigerian Chika Ibiam. I have a feeling that the real battle in this match will be in the Cougars' offensive third, where Houston's forward rotation packs plenty of experience, senior Sami Sackos leading a junior trio of Kayla Walker, Alexis Weaver and Kelsey Zamora against a Georgia defense anchored by All-Southeast Conference senior Torri Allen and classmate Nikki Hill, both on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. They will have to apply their cognitive skills very effectively in order to keep up with the quick Cougar attack.

These are some magnificent matchups to start the new season of Kokoy's Women's College Soccer Blog.

Senior goalkeeper Cami Koski (0) will be rallying her Houston Cougar teammates when Georgia comes to town on Sunday. Cami holds the school record of most career shutouts. She was selected to the All-Conference first team by CollegeSportsMadness.com for the 2013 preseason. 

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

(Most current national rank in parentheses, by the National Collegiate Athletic Association http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-women/d1/ncaa_womens_soccer_rpi)  

UPCOMING MATCHES OF THE WEEK:

Friday Aug 30 Stephen F. Austin University (#31) @ U of H 7:00 pm

Sunday Sep 1 Texas Christian University (#72) @ Houston Baptist University (#205) 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 6 Southern University (#323) @ Lamar University (#161) 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 13 University of Texas at El Paso (#185) @ HBU 7:00 pm

Sunday Sep 15 Louisiana State University (#66) @ Rice 1:00 pm

Sunday Sep 15 University of Houston @ HBU 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 20 University of Louisiana at Lafayette (#238) @ U of H 5:00 pm

Friday Sep 20 Oklahoma State University (#76) @ Rice OR
                       Howard University (#310) @ TSU 7:00 pm
                       (depending on time constraints)

Sunday Sep 22 South Carolina State University (#292) @ TSU 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 27 Northwestern State University (#260) @ HBU* 7:00 pm

Sunday Sep 29 Vanderbilt University (#114) @ Texas A&M University (#15)* 1:00 pm at College Station

Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#227) @ U of H* 7:00 pm

Friday Oct 11 TSU @ Prairie View A&M University (#303)* 7:00 pm

Sunday Oct 13 Texas Tech University (#21) @ Baylor University (#10)* 1:00 pm

Friday Oct 18 Oral Roberts University (#124) @ HBU* 5:00 pm

Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#50) @ Rice* OR
                      Alcorn State University (#321) @ TSU* 7:00 pm
                      (depending on time constraints)

Sunday Oct 20 Mississippi Valley State University (#275) @ TSU* 1:00 pm

Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#20) @ U of H* 7:00 pm

Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#322) @ TSU* 7:00 pm

Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#97) @ Rice* 1:00 pm

Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#233) @ HBU* 5:00 pm

Wednesday Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals @ Rice*

Thursday Nov 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament @ Houston Amateur Sports Park*  

Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals @ Rice*

Saturday Nov 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament @ Houston Amateur Sports Park*

Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final @ Rice*

(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend.) 

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)

THE 2012 ALL-KOKOY XI SELECTION (Blog date Aug 10, 2013)

As a coach, the approach of a new season marks a time for reflection of the past in preparation for the future. One of the reflections I cannot help but engage in is the selection of the All-Kokoy team from last season.

In order to be selected to the All-Kokoy XI, I had to have observed a player at least twice during the season to see a consistent pattern of standout play. This selection was not based on any statistics, but solely on what I observed at the matches I attended. The only exception I make is with Baylor, whom I did get to see twice in the 2012 campaign, once in their Big 12 tournament defeat of Texas Tech. The other match however was when the Bears, ranked 18th in the nation at the time, came to Houston Baptist in a torrential thunderstorm that turned the pitch into the swampland that east Texas used to be before the industrial era. Visibility was extremely limited from the little shelter of my umbrella and then the fogged up windshield of my car, where I sat through an abbreviated second half. Though the match went into the record books as a 5-nil drowning of HBU by Baylor, it could hardly have counted as a soccer match, the pitch flooded to ankle depth. The ball, needless to say, was impossible to maneuver effectively, and Baylor's physical strength outmuscled HBU, who could not play their typical finesse style of articulate passing and speed in transition. In any case, I could barely see who was who on the field through the downpour, often having to shield myself from the swirling tempest with my flimsy umbrella.

So, my apologies to nationally-ranked Baylor, who captured the Big 12 cup last season and made it all the way to the NCAA Division I tournament quarter-finals where they were eliminated by eventual champions North Carolina, but because of my selection criteria, the All-Kokoy squad consists of only players from inside the Sam Houston Beltway - with the exception of East Carolina keeper Christiane Cordero, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has read my January 14 blog entry. Indeed, if you have read all of my blog entries, then you can probably predict -

The 2012 All-Kokoy XI

Goalkeeper - Christiane Cordero, East Carolina University
Right Back - Arielle Rodriguez, Houston Baptist University
Center Back - Florence Onyera, Texas Southern University
Center Back - Kaci Bush, University of Houston
Left Back - Jasmine Isokpunwu, Rice University
Stopper - Danielle Muñoz, University of Houston
Right Midfield - Kylie Cook, University of Houston
Center Midfield - Quinny Truong, Rice University
Left Midfield - Gabriela Iribarne, Rice University
Forward - Natalie Hager, Houston Baptist University
Forward - Marlyn Campa, Texas Southern University

The only player I've seen take over a game from the goalkeeper position, Christiane was a shoo-in for the All-Kokoy XI selection. Gloves down the best I saw all season long. (A side note on Christiane - she wrote me a note on Facebook announcing her retirement from the game. A red-shirt junior last year, Christiane opted to forego her final year of NCAA eligibility and begin her journalism career after graduation last May. Although it's sad we won't be seeing her in a Philippine National Team uniform, we wish her well. Christiane's performance last October in Houston will long be remembered as a classic. It was an honor and privilege for me to have been there to witness it.)

With Florence and Kaci in the center, Arielle and Jasmine on the flanks, and Danielle "the disruptor" (see my blog dated Nov 27, 2012) at stopper, this is a dream defensive backfield that would be the smartest assembled on any pitch. This unit's speed of transition would pose problems against any team in the country.

With such an effective center midfielder in Quinny, I would still want to keep Kylie's intelligence and hustle on the field. Sliding her to the right would give that side of the park a dominant presence and a big far-post target for Gabi's crosses from the left.

Though Marlyn earned her spot on the A-KXI with her work as a center-midfielder, I would want to turn her loose in the attacking third. Not only would freeing Marlyn from those center-midfield responsibilities and pushing her forward bring her killer instincts closer to goal, but having her creative temperament in a deep offensive position would wreak havoc inside opposing boxes - especially with the quick-response Natalie connecting on the other end of her briliiant passes. The Natalie-Marlyn partnership on top is a match made in football heaven.

I present to you the 2012 All-Kokoy XI selection.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino)

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)

TSU: RISE OF THE TIGERS (Blog date Nov 5, 2012)

I was first introduced to the Texas Southern University Tigers women's soccer team on a hot early-September afternoon, as they hosted St. Mary's University visiting from San Antonio. Standing on the sidelines of the Alexander Durley Stadium, the intense heat reflected off of the field's artificial surface, making for some harsh soccer conditions. But the high temperatures did not seem to thwart the intensity of the match; the way these women played was hotter than the sun's rays that day. It was a terrific back-and-forth end-to-end passionately fought game, the visitors eventually prevailing 4-3.

Despite fielding a very young roster this year, TSU finished a respectable second in the Southwest Athletic Conference West. Third-year coach Tamura Crawley-Marigny had just two seniors and four juniors on her roster of 26 to work with. The rest were sophomores and a freshman class that, out of all the teams I have seen live this year, holds the greatest promise. Four of those freshmen were regular starters in the Tigers' rotation, including center-midfielder Marlyn Campa, who played all 90 minutes or more in every TSU match I went to see. A standout on the San Antonio Macarthur High School squad that finished ranked #5 in the area with a record of 17 wins, two losses and three draws in her senior year, Marlyn's quickness, creativity, speed and tireless hustle is going to be key to the TSU game for years to come. She has tremendous vision and a never-ending work ethic in all thirds of the pitch. She is most effective on the run with the ball up the middle, drawing defenders and then dishing it off on the break. Marlyn can execute this kind of drive in brilliant fashion, like she did against Prairie View A&M, using her quickness and excellent touch to weave past several defenders across midfield and then deliver a perfect pass to forward Sarah Glenn flying down the open right flank. Marlyn then received Sarah's cross to bury the goal that handed PVAMU their only conference loss of the season, perhaps Marlyn's biggest goal of her young NCAA career.

TSU center-midfielder Marlyn Campa (3) takes on Chantal Lynch (24) and the Southern University defense.

Coach Tamura however will be hard-pressed to find a replacement for All-Conference defender Florence Onyera, one of the two seniors graduating this year. An alumnus of Alief Elsik High School in the Houston area, Flo has been the Tigers' most solid defender, a confident presence in the back, and probably the smartest player on the field. Coach Tamura did an admirable job of assembling this current generation of freshmen, and there is no reason to doubt that she will be able to recruit again to fill Flo's shoes. She will have to in order to fulfill the Tigers' potential.

All-SWAC defender Florence Onyera, solid in the TSU back line, and the smartest player on the field.

Flo (14) took many of TSU's free kicks. She scored three goals on the season.

Very effective receiving in the air, Marlyn (3) goes sky-high against Southern's Jazmine Harrell (23).

Marlyn (white 3) defends against high-stepping SU forward Jami Blackston (blue 3).

I look forward to watching Marlyn Campa and her freshman classmates mature and develop over the next couple of years, particularly goalkeeper Liliana Hernandez and midfielders Yadira Gonzalez and Deisy Fernandez. When Marlyn learns to tame her sometimes volatile temper and apply it constructively, which I am confident she will eventually do, this midfield will dominate - and so will TSU. I'm predicting a SWAC title within two years - in Marlyn Campa's junior season.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior soccer in the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)