The Lions just got back from a tough weekend on the road. The Lions fell short against both BYU and San Diego. Last Thursday, Brittany Jagger recorded her second double-digit save effort of the season, but it was not quite enough as the Lions fell 3-0 to WCC newcomer BYU in front of 2,700 fans. The Lions traveled back to LA and headed on a bus to San Diego for a match on Sunday. The Lions were tied 1-1 at halftime with the Toreros, but San Diego scored a goal in the last five minutes to win the game. This was the Lions 3rd consecutive loss, but are more than ready to finish strong at home for the last three games of the season.

Even with a jam-packed weekend of traveling to both Utah and San Diego, the Lions made time to participate in LMU's Midnight Madness. Midnight Madness is a school wide pep rally to kick off the basketball season. Throughout the rally each of LMU athletics teams danced to a mixture of songs that they put together and choreographed. Junior midfielder and theatre major Kimiko Miyashima choreographed the dance for the Lions. Below are some pictures from the event!




Hopefully we will be able to post their fun and funky dance that they preformed in front of 2,000 people! The dancing Lions are home for their final three matches of the 2011 season, beginning with WCC opponent Portland on Friday, Oct. 28th at 3pm and Santa Clara on Sunday, October 30th at 1pm to close out WCC play. The Lions will then host Seattle on Saturday, November 5th to close out the year. Come out and support the Lions this weekend as they finish up their conference games!

GO LIONS!

The Lions just got back from a tough weekend on the road. The Lions fell short against both BYU and San Diego. Last Thursday, Brittany Jagger recorded her second double-digit save effort of the season, but it was not quite enough as the Lions fell 3-0 to WCC newcomer BYU in front of 2,700 fans. The Lions traveled back to LA and headed on a bus to San Diego for a match on Sunday. The Lions were tied 1-1 at halftime with the Toreros, but San Diego scored a goal in the last five minutes to win the game. This was the Lions 3rd consecutive loss, but are more than ready to finish strong at home for the last three games of the season.

Even with a jam-packed weekend of traveling to both Utah and San Diego, the Lions made time to participate in LMU's Midnight Madness. Midnight Madness is a school wide pep rally to kick off the basketball season. Throughout the rally each of LMU athletics teams danced to a mixture of songs that they put together and choreographed. Junior midfielder and theatre major Kimiko Miyashima choreographed the dance for the Lions. Below are some pictures from the event!




Hopefully we will be able to post their fun and funky dance that they preformed in front of 2,000 people! The dancing Lions are home for their final three matches of the 2011 season, beginning with WCC opponent Portland on Friday, Oct. 28th at 3pm and Santa Clara on Sunday, October 30th at 1pm to close out WCC play. The Lions will then host Seattle on Saturday, November 5th to close out the year. Come out and support the Lions this weekend as they finish up their conference games!

GO LIONS!

 

On Friday, Darien Pyka and Brianne Medved each tallied goals as the LMU women's soccer team handed Saint Mary's its first home loss of the season in a 2-1 final in Moraga. The win moved LMU to 7-5-2 overall and 1-1-1 in WCC play, while also snapping a five-game winless streak. After the win the Lions had dinner at Senior defender Marissa Zamora's house in Danville, CA. Junior midfielder Cori McGovern was also able to stop by her house in Danville on the way to Marissa's home. She ran through her whole house, pet her dog, pet her cat and ran back in the van to head to Marissa's! It is always nice to go to a family's home when on the road. Thank you Zamora's for having the team!

On Sunday, Battling the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, the LMU women's soccer team put up a fight, but ultimately fell 2-0 to Pepperdine. The Lions move to 7-6-2 on the season and 1-2-1 in conference play. This was a special day for the Lions as it was their designated "Think Pink" game to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Lions wore pink uniform shorts, pink sweatbands, pink shoelaces and pink wristbands to show their support of the most common cancer for women. A lot of the players know someone directly who has been affected by cancer making this a very special way to honor their friends and family. Some players honored their loved ones by writing their names on their sweatbands with permanent marker. Below is a picture of Whitney Sharpe, Yiana Dimmit and Rachel Fell wearing their pink proudly.

After splitting the games this past weekend with a win and a loss, the Lions are looking to beat WCC newcomer BYU on Thursday and San Diego on Sunday. Both games are on the road, but the Lions will return home Friday, October 28^th vs. Santa Clara and Sunday, October 30^th vs. Portland. Make sure to follow the Lions this weekend and we hope to see you when the Lions come home to wrap up WCC play in two weeks!

GO LIONS!

The Lions traveled to USF on Friday night to open conference play. Above is a picture of the team doing some sight seeing at the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, a late second half push, capped by sophomore defender Etajha Gilmer, left the LMU women's soccer team just short in it's conference opener in a 2-1 final score. LMU found itself down 1-0 just four minutes into play. The Lions controlled the game outshooting the Dons 7-3 in the first half and 16-9 in the entire game. Going into the second half down 1-0, the Dons extended their lead to 2-0. The Lions continued to fight and Gilmer was able to send a ball in the back of the net off of Linda Bakker's corner kick with 5 minutes remaining in the game. LMU was able to get two more shots off before the final whistle. Bakker's shot went high and Brianne Medved's shot went right over the crossbar. This was a tough loss on the road for the Lions. They were eager to get back home to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs for their 100^th Anniversary Centennial Match.

Above is a photo of the Lions before their conference home opener against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. LMU athletics is celebrating their 100^th Anniversary this year and has designated a game for each sport to represent the celebration match. This past Sunday was the women's soccer team's Centennial Match. In LMU's third overtime game of the season, The Lions and Bulldogs battled to a 0-0 tie in 120 minutes of play. LMU moved to 6-5-2 on the season and 0-1-1 in WCC play, picking up their first conference point with the draw. Even though LMU lead the shot count again in this match 9-4, they were unable to capitalize on a goal. LMU goal keeper Brittany Jagger only had to make one save in the game.

Tawni Martino scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season, but UNLV snapped a tie eight minutes into overtime and the LMU women's soccer team fell 2-1 to the Rebels in its final game before opening WCC play next week.

The Lions headed to Las Vegas on Friday and was able to enjoy some team bonding on the Las Vegas Strip on Saturday for lunch. Sophomore transfer Deprise Brazel took some great pictures that you can see below. Deprise transferred from Davidson College in North Carolina. When she isn't on the soccer field she loves taking photos. She has even entered some of her photos into online contests. Next contest she enters I will post the link so you can vote!

As the 2011-12 Centennial Season continues for LMU athletics, the first week of October will be a fun one as it will be a week that features a Wells Fargo PCH Cup showdown on ESPNU on Wednesday and then is capped by a Centennial Game celebration on Sunday.

 

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, LMU women's volleyball will host rival Pepperdine in Gersten Pavilion at 6 p.m. The earlier start time is because ESPNU will be broadcasting the game nationally. The game will also be the second of the season in the Wells Fargo PCH Cup Series.

 

And to top it off, it's a big one in terms of the standings early in West Coast Conference play. LMU improved to 3-1 in the WCC with a sweep over Saint Mary's on Saturday and is tied for second. Pepperdine, ranked 19^th nationally, is at 3-0 in conference play.

 

Then on Sunday, Oct. 9 women's soccer will host Gonzaga at Sullivan Field for its 2011 Centennial Game. Start time of 1 p.m. It will be the Lions first conference game at home as they travel to San Francisco on Friday. The Centennial Celebration will offer special promotions, including a food give-away to the first 100 students. Follow the Lions on Facebook and Twitter to find out what the give-away will be.

 

It's all part of a busy week for LMU in conference play. Men's golf plays Monday and Tuesday up in Reno, Nevada, at the Wolf Pack Classic, taking on several WCC foes San Diego and Santa Clara in the process.

 

Then on Thursday, men's water polo returns home to face conference foe Whittier at the Burns Aquatics Center on Thursday at 3 p.m. 

 

Friday will feature more action at Gersten Pavilion as women's volleyball hosts a non-conference match with perennial NCAA tournament participant UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m.

 

The action will conclude on Sunday with the Centennial game for women's soccer. All season the Lions will celebrate the 2011-12 Centennial Season with special Centennial games for each of its varsity programs. Men's water polo started the action with a standing-room only crowd of over 800 at the Burns Center in September, followed by women's volleyball with nearly a 1,000 against BYU last Thursday. Following women's soccer will be a pair of Centennial Races.

 

On Oct. 29 men and women's cross country will be at the WCC Championships and in the process the Lions will celebrate its 100 years at the races. Also that day, men's rowing will host UCLA at the Bove Boathouse for its Centennial Race.

 

Follow the Centennial all season at LMULions.com/LMUat100.

 

LMU came out of the gates as the aggressor against Cal State Northridge Friday at Sullivan Field. But despite unleashing four shots in the opening 13 minutes of play, and 10 for the balance of the game, the Lions could never find their mark, falling 3-0 to the Matadors. This was a tough loss for the Lions, but with a new addition, Mental Fitness Coach Katie Mckee, the Lions look to continue their win streak on the road as they head to UNLV this weekend. The lions have a clean record of 3-0-0 on the road. I sat down with Katie and asked her a few questions.

Gabby: Hi Katie! Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Katie: My name is Katie McKee, and I am a Mental Fitness Coach working with the team this year. I'm from Northern California, Danville specifically just like some of our players. I went to the University of Redlands. I graduated from Redlands in 2006 with my BA in Psychology and a Minor in Physical Education. I played 4 years of soccer and 1 year of softball at Redlands. I would have played 4 years of softball but I was injured and needed surgery the other years. Growing up I played every sport I could; soccer, softball, tennis, basketball, swim team.

Gabby: Shout out to Danville, CA! That is where I am from along with Cori McGovern and Marissa Zamora. Katie, the team seems to be responding well to you. What are some of the activities you have done with the girls thus far?

Katie: This year I'm working with the team as the Mental Fitness Coach. What that means is I'm mental teaching skills to help the team be able to perform at their best. Some of those skills include goal setting, ways to focus and what to focus on, helping maintain consistent confidence, breathing, etc. We've done some team activities this year also. We went to the Tide Pools as a team this year for some team bonding. We also did a team activity where everyone on the team, including the coaches, got a piece of a puzzle. Each person had to write on and/or decorate their piece with what motivates them or inspires them. It could be a picture, quote, song lyric, movie, etc. When they were done, we put the puzzle together, framed it, and it's hanging in the locker room. I did this with them because I believe a puzzle represents a team. Each of us are individuals on the team and bring something important to that team, and all the pieces have to be in place for it to be complete. If one piece were missing, we wouldn't be a team.

 

Gabby: Above is the picture of the puzzle. The puzzle is so unique and I know that the girls loved it. It was really cool how you included all of the coaches as well as the players. Do you have any specific goals for the lions this season?

Katie: Let's see. Some goals I have for the girls this season are to be able to look back on the season and know that they did all they could so they feel happy with themselves.  I would love for all the players and coaches to have also learned one or more mental skills throughout the course of the season so that they can carry that with them beyond the soccer field.

Gabby: Mental skills are very valuable whether you are on the soccer field or off so that is a very positive and important goal! Have you enjoyed working with the girls?

Katie: I absolutely love working with the team this year. It's great to be part of a college soccer team again. My favorite part is working with the team in a group or individual setting and to see what we work on make a difference for them. That's why I got into this profession, and if I can help at least one player or coach this year, it makes is so worth it!

Gabby: Thats awesome Katie! Now, can you give me three random facts about yourself?

Katie: This is probably the hardest question!! Ok. Elephants are my favorite animal. I've had 5 sports injury related surgeries. And...I'm a milk chocolate kind of girl!

Gabby: Thank you Katie! You are a huge asset to this team! For more information about Katie and her business, click here for Katie's Website.

Check back next week to see pictures and hear about the Lion's trip to Las Vegas after they face the UNLV Rebels for their last preseason match. You can follow the game on Sunday at 4pm by going on our website. Follow this link to gametracker: LMU vs. UNLV.

GO LIONS!

"What lies behind us and what lies beyond us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what lies within us out into the world, miracles happen." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Interview with Etajha Gilmer

 

This weekend the Lions lost in double overtime to Rutgers University on Friday. The girls did not take this loss lightly. The loss lit fire under their belts and the Lions took out their anger on CSU Bakersfield and won 3-0 on Sunday. Sophomore defender Etajha Gilmer scored for the Lions on Friday while Freshman Linda Bakker scored twice for the Lions on Sunday and Junior Cori McGovern had the third goal.

 

This week we looked at Sophomore Forward Tawni Martino's pre-game routine on Sunday vs. CSU Bakersfield. Every athlete has their own superstition and ways to get ready for games. Here is how Tawni Martino gets ready for hers...

Sunday September 4, 2011 LMU vs CSU Bakersfield

8:45 AM: Wake Up
9:00 AM: Team Breakfast in the coaches' offices. Breakfast included bagels, cereal, fruit and yummy chocolate milk.
10:01 AM: Walked to the training room.

10:13-10:59 AM: Had treatment and took an ice bath

11:00 AM: Walked to our brand new awesome locker room.
11:07 AM: Made my Facebook status and tweeted, "GAME DAY! GO LIONS! Rawrrr!"
11:15 AM: Listened to music with all the girls in the locker room
11:25 AM: Started putting on socks, cleats, shin guards, etc.
11:35 AM: Put my own headphones in and listened to music to get in the zone.
11:52 AM: Team ritual "clap"

11:55 AM: Coaches came in for team pre-game talk

12:12 PM: walk out to field for warm up

1:00 PM: GAME TIME!

Gabby: Do you have any superstitions or routines that you do prior to every game?

Tawni: I have a couple superstitions and routines that I do before every game. I always wear the same sliders for every game and I have this yellow sweatband that I always wear on my left arm. I also make sure to listen to my own music to "get in the zone" and once we step on the field, I do a special handshake with Tata (Etajha Gilmer).

Gabby: What is your favorite part about game day?

Tawni: I think my favorite part about game day is just the environment and enthusiasm from all of my teammates and the fans. I love stepping on the field ready to play some soccer.

Gabby: What time of music do you listen to before the game to get ready?

Tawni: Most of the time I listen to hip-hop, rap, and electronica music but sometimes I also listen to pop. Anything that can get me amped up or if it's popular right now I'll listen to it.

 

Thank you Tawni for letting us see your game day routine! The Lions will head to Fullerton at 7pm on Friday and will be home again Sunday vs SMU at 1pm. See you there!

GO LIONS!

 

The Lions beat Long Island University on Friday 3-0 with goals from Tawni Martino, Erin Rementer and Britney Sanford. On Sunday the Lions played 110 minutes, including two over times, and walked away with a 0-0 tie against Fresno State University. The defense was nothing but strong this weekend as they continue to shut out their opponents for the third game in a row. This weekend was the first weekend at home and they did not disappoint!

 

This week I chatted with Senior Forward Erin Rementer. She shared with me 20 things that you might not know about her...

 

20 things about me, Erin Rementer:

 

1.     I played for Leahi premiere Ho'okalakupua club in Hawaii.

2.     I have about 20 ducks in my backyard as pets.

3.     I hate Mayonnaise and I tell people that I am allergic to it.

4.     I love the Lakers.

5.     I am obsessed with Kobe Bryant.

6.     I am not a typical Asian driver. I am actually a very good driver.

7.     I want Strawberry shortcake to be my wedding cake.

8.     My favorite ice cream in mint chocolate chip.

9.     My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.

10. Traffic makes me grouchy.

11. My favorite soccer player is David Beckham.

12. I wish that Hawaii had In N Out Burger.

13. I love my 6-year-old nephew more than anything.

14. Benihanna is my favorite restaurant.

15. I have met Mia Hamm twice at an airport.

16. N*sync was my first concert.

17. I played basketball when I was eight years old...it didn't work out.

18.  Pineapple is my favorite fruit.

19. I won an art contest in 3^rd grade and every elementary school on my island was entered in the contest.

20. My role model is my Aunt Noreen because she recently had a stroke that paralyzed her, but she has one of the most positive outlooks on life and her recovery. It is truly inspirational.

I find it hard to believe that Erin is a good driver! This weekend Erin the

Lions are home again vs. Rutgers University (Friday at 4pm) and Cal State

Bakersfield (Sunday at 1pm). We would love to see you out there! The

energy in the stands is contagious!

GO LIONS!

Gabby Parisella class of 2011

This past weekend the Lions hooked the Longhorns and won their first game 3-1 at the University of Texas! They continued to shine on Sunday when they beat Texas State 1-0. The goal scorers of the weekend were Tawni Martino, Brittney Sanford, Darien Pyka and freshman Brianne Medved. Even though these girls put the goals away it was an entire team effort. I talked to the three Lion captains: Jaide Garcia, Brittney Sanford and Rachel Fell to see what they had to say about the winning weekend!

Gabby: How was starting off the season beating a top ranked opponent? (Texas was ranked #18 going into the game on Friday).

Jaide:  Starting off with a big win is exactly what our team needed to get our season going. We have worked really hard this month and the two wins solidified our confidence for the games ahead. We really proved our potential this weekend so now we just have to focus on capitalizing on it. We are determined to make the NCAA tournament this year and we are off to the best possible start!

Gabby: How is the team chemistry after the road trip to Texas?

Jaide: The team chemistry has been great this season and this trip made it better. We are missing  Whitney but she has kept in great touch with us via texting. The games brought the team together because all 23 players were needed to keep the energy up to get our wins. We learned how to rely on each other this weekend and were able to show the 8 new members what being a lion is all about!

Gabby: How important was not only beating the Longhorns, but beating Texas State for the weekend sweep on the road?

Rachel: Bringing home two wins this weekend is massive for us. With no pre season games to prepare us we went into this weekend inexperienced compared to both teams. We have very few away games so to capitalize on these is a great way for us to get ahead.

Gabby: What was your favorite part of the trip?

Rachel: My favorite part of the trip was the experience we had at the University of Texas. We were lucky enough to have been given a tour of their football stadium and behind their facilities. For me, who has never seen the football side of college athletics, it was a great experience.,,one that many do not get to see. From the huge stadium to the marble flooring and Heisman Trophy collection, it didn't take long to feel the high end of college football. Then later that day we played a hard fought game that all 23 players came together for a historic win. It was a great day in all.

Gabby: Brittney, What were your feelings going into the penalty kick knowing that if you scored, your team would take the lead against the University of Texas? Did you have a specific approach?

Brittney: My feelings stepping into take the PK was a mixture of nervousness as well as confidence. I believe that PKs are just as much mental as they are skillful. I couldn't think about the repercussions of this penalty kick if I missed. Instead, I went into the PK knowing that I was going to make it. I stared at the keepers eyes while running toward the goal and I struck the ball as hard as I could to the left side of the net. I will never forget it.

Gabby:  Do you have any funny stories from the trip?

Brittney: A few of our teammates thought it would be funny to steal Ojo, Whitney Sharpe's stuffed bear. Whitney was unable to attend the trip because of transfer rules with the NCAA. We were going to miss Whitney and we needed someone to take her place. We ended up treating Ojo like a part of the team. We documented his trip with us. He did things like eat pizza, pick up baggage, hydrate etc. We ended up taking several comedic pictures which gave us all a good laugh...except for whit of course! Sorry we aren't sorry whit! (pictures of Ojo below)

Sounds like an amazing weekend filled with great team chemistry, great soccer and a 2-0-0 record! I don't know if you are as superstitious as I am, but it seems to me that Ojo needs to make an appearance at every home game, get his own plane ticket and own seat on the bus for every road trip!

Hopefully we will see YOU and Ojo at the Lions first home game this Friday at 4pm vs. Long Island University!

GO LIONS!

Gabby Parisella Class of 2011

Editor's Note: This is a blog from LMU Athletics Director Dr. William Husak, who will be blogging throughout the 2011-12 season. Here are his first thoughts of the season.

Women's soccer was previewed in the South Bay Daily Breeze. Check out the story at:Daily Breeze Sports

Every week I will be writing a blog giving all of you LMU soccer fans an update on how the girls are doing. So far, the Lions have just wrapped up double days! Double days consisted of fitness testing, 11 v. 11 scrimmages and weight lifting. They are looking great and ready to start the season!

Off the field the lions have done a lot as a team. Along with having team dinners every night, Coach Joe and his family hosted the team at his house for dinner and after dinner the lions surprised a South Bay Force club team at their team party! The Lions answered questions about work ethic, academics and bouncing back from tough losses. The team also went to tide pools in Palos Verdes for some team bonding. The girls hiked down to the tide pools and found a lot of different sea creatures. A lot of girls did not mind touching them, but there were a lot of that would not go near them!

The team is now ready for season to kick off! The lions will leave Thursday to take on the University of Texas (Friday) and Texas State(Sunday)! The Lions will return HOME on Friday, August 26th at 4pm vs Long Island University. We would love to see you there for the 2011 season home opener!

The Lions look forward to your support! Look for an update on how they are doing every week!

GO LIONS!

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