Stephanie Ricketts joined Adrian in 2007 and was an integral part in the development of a squad that has cemented itself as one of the top teams in the MIAA and Central Region.  She served as the interim head coach during the program’s leadership transition in 2008, and was responsible for the recruitment of the incoming class of 2008… a class which includes All-MIAA goalkeeper Stevie Burns, and All-MIAA defender Kellie Irwin who was voted team MVP in 2009.

Coach Stephanie Ricketts will join Westminster College as an Assistant Coach in 2010

Stephanie will be leaving Adrian to accept a Graduate Assistant Coach position at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.  While at Westminster, she will have the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree while working with Head Coach Girish Thakar, an eight year veteran with a career winning percentage of over .700, five PAC championships, and four NCAA DIII Tournament appearances.

“Steph has worked tirelessly over the past three years to help transform Adrian’s program into what we are today,” remarked Adrian Coach Ali Alamdari.  “She poured every once of energy that she had into this team, and her impact can be seen in the quality of the student-athletes that we have in this program.  One of her career goals is to be a head coach in the next few years, and having the opportunity to have grad school taken care of while coaching in another top DIII program was a great fit.  It’s a bittersweet moment for certain, but we couldn’t be more proud and grateful for Steph and can’t wait to watch the next step in her career.”

Lindsay Chitwood completed a stellar playing career for the Bulldogs in 2009, being named Adrian College Senior Female Athlete of the Year, and she graduated in 2010 with degrees in Business Administration and English.  She is the leading scorer in school history, a four time All-MIAA selection, and will work directly with the team’s attacking players as Adrian looks to reload after a historic run in 2009.

Coach Lindsay Chitwood will move from the field to the sideline at Adrian College this fall

Lindsay was offered the position after a nationwide search in May and June.  Dozens of qualified candidates applied, but ultimately after conducting a series of phone and on-campus interviews, the choice was clear.

“Coach Chitwood wowed the hiring committee with her understanding of the game and passion for the position,” said Alamdari.  “She has a great grasp on our grassroots recruiting efforts, and we know that the leadership that she provided on the field will easily translate to leadership on the sideline.  For incoming players, they’ll have the ability to work hand in hand with a player who knows exactly what it takes to be successful at this level.”  Along with her Assistant Coach duties, Chitwood will serve as the program’s Recruiting and Fundraising Coordinator and Head Coach for reserve matches.

Members of the Bulldog Soccer family, please leave a comment below for Coach Ricketts and Coach Chitwood as they begin the next stages in their soccer careers!

1. Get a ridiculously giant TV  (Status: Complete)
2. Save up a month of vacation time and say goodbye tofamily, friends, and coworkers  (Status: Complete)
3. Clean out the minifridge to reduce the number of trips to the kitchen  (Status: Pending)
4. Take care of all the odd jobs that need to be done around the house  (Status: Don’t Ask)
5. Figure out the difference between Slovakia and Slovenia  (Status: Pending)
6. Remember that June 24th, 2010 is my 4th anniversary  (Status: Fingers Crossed)
   

   Coach's World Cup TV of Choice is the Samsung HL67A750

7. Check my voicemail in case Bob Bradley needs a last minute sub  (Status: Constant)
8. Cheer like crazy when the US beats England this Saturday  (Status: Optimistically Pending)
9. Set the alarm for 7am for the morning matches  (Status: Reluctantly Complete)
10. Set up the AdrianSoccer.com Coach’s Blog  (Status: Complete)
11. Provide valuable World Cup insight on the AdrianSoccer.com Coach’s Blog  (Status: Not At All Likely)

We’re under 48 hours away from the greatest sport spectacle in the world.  Get the coffeemakers started…

AA

Recent Blog Posts:

• 9/1 vs. Denison Thoughts - September 1, 2010

  Preparation for the Denison match really began the moment our players started training in the preseason. After last season's success, we have firmly set our sights on an MIAA Championship... but we know that it is an uphill battle and will require a m...

• World Cup Blog - Quarterfinal Recap - July 3, 2010

  The quarterfinals are an interesting point in the tournament.  A team that comes to the World Cup with a goal of reaching the knockout can label their outing a resounding success if they exceed expectations by reaching the quarterfinals (e.g. the US i...

• World Cup Blog - Round of 16 Recap - June 30, 2010

  I won't bore you with long commentary on each match, just a couple quick thoughts... Uruguay 2 - South Korea 1 Remember what I said about Suarez?  The guy is on the fast track to a big club payday.  I think his game is suited well for Spain, bu...

• World Cup Blog - Group Stage Recap - June 25, 2010

  It's been a crazy Cup so far, here's my quick recap with thoughts on the way each group played out: Group A I was very fortunate to see Luis Suarez play for Ajax in Amsterdam this March and I was left feeling like I just watched the world's great...

• World Cup Blog - Day 8 - June 18, 2010

  Yesterday we saw the floodgates open with10 goals in 3 matches.  To the casual fan wondering where the scoring was, hopefully that appeases them.  The reality is that teams are extremely conservative in the first round... too much to lose with a loss...

• World Cup Blog - Day 7 - June 17, 2010

  So... Argentina is pretty good, eh?  I think they've established themselves as the team of the tournament so far.  It took a superhuman performance from Nigeria's keeper to keep the score manageable in the first game, but they came out with a similar...

• World Cup Blog - Day 6 - June 16, 2010

  Stunner.  I was waiting all tourney, talking Spain up to every casual fan I met, and then the Swiss shock the world.  I got in a little trouble on Facebook referring to it as an awesome game, evidently I'm friends with the one person on the planet th...

• World Cup Blog - Day 5 - June 15, 2010

  One of my favorite matchdays of the tourney so far... New Zealand reminds us all to never say never, snatching a draw in the final breaths of stoppage time.  In honor of the Kiwis, their most famous duo: On to the group of death, it's a shame t...

• World Cup Blog - Day 4 - June 14, 2010

  Well, there goes my ESPN bracket.  I thought Cameroon was a sure winner in this match and a darkhorse in the tourney.  The Dutch result was no surprise at all, though it very easily could have been a draw.  An unfortunate own goal and a terrible job...

• World Cup Blog - Day 3 - June 13, 2010

  Wow, that is not the Germany that I expected to see without Ballack.  Granted, it was against a subpar Australian side that struggled against the US in a friendly before the WC, but still, they look extremely dangerous. A draw between Slovenia and ...

• World Cup Blog - Day 2 - June 12, 2010

  On our team's European tour, my first conversation in England was with our tour guide Bryan, and we discussed among other things the awful state of English goalkeeping. 3 days later we were at the Everton/Birmingham match... Tim Howard vs. Joe Hart. ...

• World Cup Blog - Day 1 - June 11, 2010

  Solid opening game with Mexico and South Africa. That SA goal will probably hold up as one of the best of the tourney. France looks like a team ready to crumble, but a draw with Uruguay gives them a slightly better chance of advancing from this weak ...

• Coach's World Cup Blog - June 9, 2010

  To kick off the AdrianSoccer.com Coach's Blog (linked on the upper righthand corner of the site), I'll be posting throughout the World Cup.  In order to prepare, I had a checklist of items to take care of: Get a ridiculously giant TV  (Status: Co...

The official Adrian College release can be found HERE.

Congratulations go out to Lindsay, her family, and her teammates on a tremendous honor!

“2010 will be an interesting year for us,” remarked Head Coach Ali Alamdari who returns for his 3rd season at AC.  “We lost an amazing senior class, but our returners looked sharp and focused this spring, and our recruiting class is shaping up to be something very special.  The schedule will test us early on, but we’re hoping that it sets us up for success in the MIAA like it did last year.”  The Bulldogs started the 2009 season with four straight road games, winning only one.  After that, the lights turned on and the squad went undefeated in their next seven matches en route to an MIAA Runner-Up finish.

Senior Captain Tessa Kellar will help lead the Bulldogs in 2010

Adrian opens up 2010 against DIII power Denison University.  The Big Red were nationally ranked for much of 2009, making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament after an undefeated regular season in NCAC league play.  The Bulldogs will then travel to the Marietta Classic in southern Ohio before hosting the 2nd Annual Briton-Bulldog Classic on the weekend of September 11th and 12th.  Aquinas College will look to start a new intrastate rivalry with their match on September 15th, and the non-conference schedule will wrap up with a weekend trip to the Chicagoland area against Calumet and Elmhurst.  Elmhurst College will be looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat to the Bulldogs in 2009.

One new highlight in 2010 will be a Men’s/Women’s doubleheader on Wednesday, October 20th.  Not only will it be Senior Night for the Women’s team as they face USCAA National Champion Marygrove College, both Adrian squads will team up with Nike to promote the Join(RED) campaign to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

2010 Adrian College Women’s Soccer Varsity Schedule

Wed 9/1 – 4pm @ Denison
Sat 9/4 – 2pm vs. Mt. St. Joseph (@ Marietta, OH Classic)
Sun 9/5 – TBA vs. Marietta or Rivier (@Marietta, OH Classic)
Wed 9/8 – 7pm @ Heidelberg
Sat 9/11 – Noon vs. Siena Heights (Briton-Bulldog Classic)
Sun 9/12 – 4pm vs. Schoolcraft (Briton-Bulldog Classic)
Wed 9/15 – 4pm vs. Aquinas
Fri 9/17 – 3pm @ Calumet
Sun 9/19 – 2pm @ Elmhurst
Wed 9/22 – 4pm @ Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (Indiana)
Sat 9/25 – Alumni Match
Wed 9/29 – 4pm vs. Hope
Sat 10/2 – 11am vs. Trine (Homecoming, Soccer Golf Outing)
Tues 10/5 – 3pm vs. Albion
Sat 10/9 – Noon @ Calvin
Wed 10/13 – 4pm @ Alma
Sat 10/16 – Noon vs. Olivet
Wed 10/20 – 7pm vs. Marygrove (Join(RED) Senior Night)
Sat 10/23 – Noon @ St. Mary’s
Wed 10/27 – 4pm @ Kalamazoo
Sat 10/30 – TBA (MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals)
Tues 11/2 – TBA (MIAA Tournament Semifinals)
Sat 11/6 – TBA (MIAA Tournament Finals)

New to the event will be the program’s first “Garage Sale Fundraiser”.  Surplus AC Soccer gear will be available for sale for as little as $1… highlights include new Nike t-shirts for $5, game-used Puma jerseys for $5, and new Nike half-zip jackets for $30.  All proceeds will go directly to the Adrian College Women’s Soccer program.

Junior Captain Sabrina Fortney will return to the field for the Black and Gold Scrimmage

The first Black and Gold Scrimmage was held in spring of 2009.  About the event Head Coach Ali Alamdari said, “We’ve been working hard to establish some new traditions within the soccer program, and we thought the Black and Gold Scrimmage was a great way for us to celebrate the end of the school year.  It’s also a great chance for our recruits to come to campus one last time to watch their future teammates play before they arrive in the fall.”

The event will be followed by a cookout in the pavilion for the team, recruits, and family members.  Hot dogs, chips, and beverages will be provided… feel free to bring a dish to pass if you’d like.  Pregame begins at 4:15pm, kick-off will be at 5:00pm, and the cookout will start at approximately 6:30pm.

First, Dutch television coverage of our 2-1 win over v.v. Herpinia on March 8th, 2010, courtesy of Omroep Walraven TV.  2010 Captains Sabrina Fortney, Kellie Irwin, and Tessa Kellar were interviewed before the match, giving their opinions on the state of the women’s game in America, balancing athletics and academics, and Tessa’s future career as a professional soccer player.

Next, a short clip of the postgame celebration with rkvv Wilhelmina, the 2009 Dutch 2nd Division Champions, after our match with them on March 10th, 2010.

To get updates on new videos when they are uploaded, click THIS LINK or the yellow “Subscribe” button on our YouTube channel.  If you can give a quick “5 Star” rating to the videos you watch, we’d appreciate it!

March 7th, 2010 – Amsterdam

Yesterday we arrived in Holland, we barely slept on the plane except for Sabrina who slept comfortably on the floor. Immediately after getting to the hotel we went to the sports park to practice which went surprisingly well, considering the chain smoke from every European. We were then cordially invited to the clubhouse for unknown deep-fried substances. We are still searching for our own European hotties, the group tossing their numbers at us were not cutting it. After, we ate an amazing dinner at the hotel, barely staying awake. We headed home for bed.

This morning, we all went to breakfast, well except for the Chitwoods and Muylle. Then we were off on the bus to Amsterdam! We went on a canal cruise through the center of the city and saw “the Nemo boat, the Nemo boat, and the Nemo boat.” After, we had seven hours to explore Amsterdam in a few groups. We all tried to hit the Anne Frank House, which was an amazing experience, and some saw the Van Gogh Museum. Each girl probably spent 50-100 Euro today. The trip is going awesome so far, we’re having a blast. Big game and shopping tomorrow!

- The Big Bambina and Wombat (Sabrina Fortney and Melissa Woolsey)

***

March 8th, 2010 – Eindhoven

To begin with, there is only one thing I have to say… Dutch 0, USA 1.  That’s right, we won our first game in the Netherlands against v.v. Herpinia, a 2nd division team.  But to backtrack to the beginning of the day, we started with visiting the Philips Stadium, home of PSV Eindhoven.  We experienced a long and strenuous workout of 4 flights of stairs.  We began on the fourth floor where players and guests lounge and have drinks after the game.  We got the chance to tour the other 3 floors in which we learned the history of the stadium, viewed the locker rooms, and had the chance to view the field.

For lunch, we had McDonald’s (really foreign) and had the chance to see the large statue of the one and only Michael Jackson!  We then went to a small village outside of Eindhoven for shopping.  We experienced the largest chapel in Holland, St. John’s.  It was very unique, yet beautiful with stained glasses, tombs of saints in the ground, and a very impressive organ.  After a couple hours of shopping, we came back to the hotel for dinner and to prepare for our first game.  We had a very stressful ride to the game, where our bus got stuck on a side street.  After a hair-pulling 20 minutes of being stuck, we pulled ourselves together for our match… which by the way as we forgot to mention earlier, we won 2-1.  The ladies on the opposing team ranged in age from 20 to 39, wow!  Compared to our age range of 18 to 23.  But, boy we sure did kick some Dutch bootie!!  That makes us undefeated against the Dutch for the past two years

- The Great Wall of Chayna and The Price is Right Pomeroy (Chayna Wallace and Courtney Pomeroy)

March 11th, 2010 – Watford

Today we woke up for the first time in England and had breakfast at 8:30am, subpar compared to the Holland spread.  Then we packed up and headed out for a short practice session (aka Arsenal Stadium).  Practice went really well with the video camera attached to our hands.  Cozzi finished off the practice winning “crossbar” (surprise!).  Then we headed back to lunch and relaxation before touring the real Arsenal Stadium.

The Stadium was incredible, only about 4 years old.  The tour was a little less personal than PSV, but it was still incredible to see.  We got to go in the locker room and even saw an interview with pro-player Tessa Kellar.  After the stadium we headed back to the hotel and got ready for our game against Watford Reserves.  They were an English Premier League team and a very tough opponent.  The Great Wall of Chayna held up to her name and played a great game.  We ended with a 0-0 tie.  Not bad at all… we kept up our “cracking pace” the full 90 minutes.  After the game we went into the clubhouse and enjoyed some desserts, sandwiches, chips, and tea + crumpets.  Well most of those at least.  We got back to the hotel and enjoyed some delicious pizza, and now it’s midnight here so… HAPPY BIRTHDAY COACH RICKETTS!

- Simba (Sam Bono) and Tessa “Tellin’ It How It Is” Kellar

***

March 12th, 2010 – London

Today we traveled to the city of London – you’ve heard of that, right?  Our bus driver Glenn dropped us off right by Westminster Abbey.  From there we could see the Eye of London, Parliament, and Big Ben!  We split into a few groups from there… some dared to navigate “The Tube” following Bailey, their fearless leader.  The other group faced a fierce battle of bus companies… who could give the better price?

The Big Bus Company won our business and we were off to see Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, one of the richest districts in London (home of Sean Connery), and statues of several Kings.  We ate at a pub to get some traditional English food (and also to get lost in there).  To top off the night, it’s off to the city of London to celebrate Coach Ricketts’ birthday!!!  Cheerio!

- Hutch and C-Mac (Kelley Hutchins and Christine McIntyre)

***

March 13th, 2010 – Birmingham

Today we woke up to our last full day in England, where we started off with our usual morning breakfast at 8 before leaving at 9 to head to Stratford.  Stratford is the birthplace of Shakespeare.  While there we were given a couple hours to explore the Shakespeare museum or enter into his house for a tour.  There was a variety of different stores located along the main street where we were able to shop and have lunch.  One of the attractions along the main street was “Shakespeare’s ghost” that was painted head to toe in grey.  While Patti was posing for pictures the “ghost” which we all thought was a statue decided to sneak up on her and scare her, which resulted in her screaming and “Shakespeare’s ghost” chasing her around the main street.  At 12:30 when everyone met back at the bus we traveled to the city of Birmingham to attend an English Premier League match between Birmingham City and Everton.

With the match beginning at 3pm all visiting buses were arranged to meet on a street where we would be escorted in by the police for our safety.  Once inside we went to our amazing seats at row 11 and 12 which was in the Birmingham City fan section.  Secretly, the majority of our girls were cheering for Everton because it features two members of the US National Team, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, along with two former Manchester United players, Phil Neville and Louis Saha, but since we were placed in the home team’s fan area we had to blend in with their crowd and cheering.

Throughout the match both teams had several chants coming from the crowd that we couldn’t understand.  The match resulted in a 2-2 tie.  A few select girls were able to see Landon Donovan up close.  Attending this game was an amazing experience for our team to truly see how European soccer is played and to witness the intense atmosphere of the European fans.  Along with experiencing this match we also witness what could be potentially Landon Donovan’s last match with Everton.

Once the match was completed we loaded the bus to head back to the hotel for dinner at 8.  Tonight is a relaxing night for us to just hang out at the hotel and get ready for our early flight tomorrow.  The past 8 days have been filled with hard work in practice and our matches, sight-seeing, surrounding ourselves with new people and a totally different environment.  Many laughs and memories were shared amongst our team over this trip that will always be remembered.

- Patti “The Point of No Return” Vaassen, Brittany “Moreau Your Boat”, and Emily “Low (like plow) not Low (like snow)”

***

March 14th, 2010 – Heading Home

***

March 15th, 2010 – Tour Recap

Looking back on these ten days of endless travel, we all have gained an experience of a lifetime.  European futbol is a way of life for these overseas players, from the day they step on a field as a child to playing in front of crowds of 50,000+, and I think each of us walked away with at least some sort of deeper appreciation and love for our futbol as well.

Starting in the Netherlands, it was a rather quiet setting as the historical architecture and old Dutch cities spoke their stories.  The practice session seemed surreal, as if we were running on holy ground, with the thought of representing not only Adrian College, but the United States of America.  It was also interesting to learn about the hand-crafted wooden shoes and cheese making that date back to early history.  On the other hand, Amsterdam was a very busy city.  Numerous people and old style pubs lined the streets as we explored.  PSV Stadium made us feel like “family”.  It was very generous of one of the richest futbol clubs in all of Europe to extend their hand and make us feel at home.  Our match that night was a good test to see if we could keep up with the European style, and we were successful.  The Hague was an interesting piece of history and luckily the weather held out nicely for us that day.  Our game that night was a more difficult test, not only with the cold weather, but a better Dutch team.  We came away with a positive learning experience even though we lost.

Next we were on to England after a “4” hour ferry ride, oh I mean “8” hour ferry ride.  Our practice field was humorously mistaken for Arsenal Stadium, but little did Tessa know that we were going there later in the day.  Arsenal Stadium matches up well with most of our American football stadiums.  Holding 60,000 people and every seat being padded would make for an exciting home field advantage.  That night, our game was a true test of physicality along with mental toughness due to the cold weather and pure exhaustion from travelling non-stop.  A tie, in our minds, was a good result.  The following day a tour of London constantly made our jaws drop.  It felt like being in an amusement park, with the extreme gigantic size of all the buildings and precise detail in design.  It was nice of the city to write on their crossings, “Look Left” and “Look Right”, because cars were speeding in different directions than we were used to at home.  To round out our day, a night out for Coach Ricketts’ birthday was a blast and provided some hilarious memories.  Day 9, our last day of the trip was a culmination of our soccer experience as we watched Birmingham and Everton duke it out to a 2-2 tie.  The police escort, 90 minute chanting of the fans, and our awesome seats made our first European futbol game like nothing else we have ever experienced.

This trip in its entirety opened each and every one of our girl’s eyes to a brand new perspective of the game of soccer.  Pictures will not be able to grasp what the AC Women’s Soccer team experienced through their tour of London and for the memories we will take away, each of us will be eternally grateful.  GO BULLDOGS!!

- Big and Lil “Yo” (Lindsay and Katlyn Chitwood)

***

March 15th, 2010 – Coach’s Thoughts on the Trip

Well, there’s not too much for me to add about the day-to-day of the trip itself… I think our girls did a great job of telling the story of our 2010 European Trip and we enjoyed all the comments online just as much as the family and friends enjoyed following us around The Netherlands and UK.  I want to personally thank everyone who followed us on AdrianSoccer.com for the past 9 days… it was always a nice surprise to have well wishes from home.

Even though this trip officially began on March 5th, I feel like it really started two years ago when we started talking about taking a tour like this.  Our goal in designing the itinerary was to provide something more than just a spring break overseas… we wanted to immerse our players in soccer culture, and I think it was a tremendously successful trip in that regard.  My favorite comment came about 3 days into the trip when one of our players said she felt “inspired” to come back to Europe and continue building upon the small taste that we were able to get in such a short time.  As a college team, it was especially rewarding to see how each student took different things from the experience… Muylle working her camera trying to capture every angle of London’s architecture, Irwin and Cozzi taking in all of Holland’s attention to detail in their contemporary interior design, Chitwood’s focus on PSV Eindhoven’s existence as a successful business enterprise through the game of football, and the list goes on and on.

For me, I have as many great memories as everyone else… watching an English Premier League match is something that I’ve dreamed of for years, but to coach our team (and earn a tie!) against a women’s EPL reserve team was absolutely amazing.  For the soccer fans out there, Watford Reserves is in 3rd place in their league… behind Chelsea and Arsenal.  Their leading scorer had scored 21 goals in 8 games before our match.  Suffice to say that USA soccer was very well represented on March 11th, 2010!

Before signing off, I want to send some important thanks… first, to the parents, grandparents, family, and friends of our players that made this trip possible.  This truly was a once in a lifetime experience, and I am grateful to all of the support that our team received as this trip went from idea to reality.  I don’t think that anyone would argue that the expense of this trip was money very well spent, but that doesn’t make it any easier to come up with the funds… I think Jessica and I will be eating PB&J for the next 3 months, but if we close our eyes we can at least pretend we’re eating it in Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square.

I also want to thank our fantastic tour guides Cees (pronounced “case”) and Bryan, and our bus drivers Sies (pronounces “cease”) and Glenn.  Americans can be a bit demanding at times, but these gentlemen took great care of us and will always be considered friends of Adrian College Soccer.  I would also like to thank Loek from Premier International Tours for arranging our trip and managing the many changes along the way, and Eddie from the Ajax Youth Academy for his hospitality during my week abroad before the team arrived.  To Jeroen from Emplina, it was a pleasant surprise to see you at our matches and we hope to see you next time we are in Holland.  Special thanks goes out to my wife Jessica who helped Coach Ricketts get the team safely to Europe and worked behind the scenes throughout the trip, taking care of laundry and equipment and taking pictures and video all week long.  This trip was a resounding success, and we couldn’t have done it without any of the aforementioned people.

My final note is to the players: please do not let your international experience end today.  You saw a tiny bit of Europe, but there is much more to see, even in Holland and England.  After college, there is always an excuse why not to do something… money, time, work, etc…  but always remember that you are in control of your life and your priorities.  My first trip abroad was an eye opening experience, just as it was for many of you.  It’s for that very reason that we put this 2010 trip in place, and it’s the same reason that we’ll return as often as the NCAA rules will allow.

Until 2013…

- Ali “Nickname” Alamdari