May 26, 2007

Billy Scott, UNC Class of 2007, is blogging Carolina's women's soccer training trip activities, for TarHeelBlue.com. This is his second of three updates. Scott graduated earlier this month from the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD COAST --The most exciting part of the Tar Heels' fifth day in Australia was the impromptu game of soccer keep away that broke out in the baggage claim area of Coolangatta Airport. The Tar Heel women were releasing some pent up energy that had festered during the two plane flights they needed to get them from Canberra, the Australian capital city, to the famous Gold Coast in Queensland.

The journey to Canberra from Sydney, however, was much more remarkable. The Heels made the six-hour trip by charter bus, which was fortunate because they needed the largest windows they could get to take in the scenery. Soon after leaving Sydney, the bus pulled up to Sublime Point Lookout, a cliff that stands 415 meters above the city of Wollongong and its broad, white beaches. When the crew had taken all of the pictures imaginable, they pressed on farther south before stopping for lunch in the charming seaside town of Kiama.

The next stop for the Carolina party was Fitzroy Falls, an 81-meter waterfall in the northern section of Morton National Park. The waterfall stands at the head of a deep, expansive gorge, but the scenery did not mute the players' true nature. They frequently tried to scare each other by jumping up and down on the disconcertingly shaky viewing platform, eliciting yelps of alarm. The remainder of the drive was just as spectacular, with rugged mountains jutting up from lush valleys. Even though the scenic route took longer to complete, all agreed it was well worth it.

The Tar Heels arrived at the Australian Institute of Sport in time for a short training session and dinner, where they were invited to a special Pink concert on campus. The women especially appreciated this pleasant surprise because there were few other diversions in the compound which is totally devoted to training Australia's best athletes.

On the fourth day Down Under, the Heels took on the World Cup qualifying Australian National Team. Despite missing five starters and only using four subs, the Tar Heels played the Australians very well. The Aussies scored first off a wide open rebound only minutes into the game, but the Heels answered back a few minutes later. Tobin Heath slashed through the Aussie defense but was taken down in the penalty box, which led to a penalty kick that Yael Averbuch buried in the top of the net. Fatigue proved to be UNC's downfall, however, and they went on to fall 3-1. The match was the Australians' final game before trimming their roster for Olympic qualifying, so their fresh legs eventually wore the Heels down. With only a few minutes left, the Australians tallied the final two goals to put the game out of reach.

Once the two teams had warmed down and applied their ice bags, the Australians treated the UNC travel party to an enormous barbecue lunch. Afterward, most of the team headed into downtown Canberra to explore the capital city, but Whitney Engen, Ashlyn Harris and Ashley Moore made a trip to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve to go for a hike and check out the local wildlife. They encountered dozens of wild kangaroos and a pair of emu before they had to head back to AIS.

Carolina's stay at AIS complete, the team headed to the Australian Gold Coast, which seemed like paradise to the Tar Heels after the spartan accommodations and less than ideal weather they experienced in Canberra. The players were very excited to discover that their hotel sat only a hundred yards or so from the beach, but they did not make it down to the shore until their second day in "Surfer's Paradise." On their first full day there, day six in Australia, the players spent the morning at Currumbin Wildlife Reserve, where they took turns posing for pictures with kangaroos, wallabies and koalas and ogled an enormous crocodile.

That evening the Heels made the 45-minute drive (which, not not altogether inconsistent with UNC women's soccer tradition, turned into an hour-and-45 minute drive) to the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre to take on the Queensland Regional Select Team. Even though the Queensland team included five players from the full national team, the Tar Heels controlled the run of play for much of the contest. Unfortunately, the Tar Heels could not capitalize on their numerous chances and lost 2-1. Yael Averbuch scored on a breakaway about 10 minutes into the first half and Jaime Gilbert narrowly missed a golden opportunity toward the end, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Aussie side. Caroline Boneparth had to leave the game after knocking heads with a Queensland player. She demonstrated the Tar Heel toughness, though, and showed that multiple stitches couldn't stop her from hitting the beach with the rest of the team on day seven.

Many of the players woke up before dawn to catch the sunrise over the water and spent the rest of the day relaxing: laying out on the beach, playing in the waves, and shopping in Surfer's Paradise. Casey Nogueira even put her juggling skills to use yet again, entertaining a crowd at an open air mall alongside an Elvis impersonator.

Next up for the Tar Heels is a trip to Auckland, New Zealand and a game against the New Zealand national team. That is, of course, if they resist the temptation to miss their flight and spend a few more days on the famed Australian Gold Coast.