Day 3
by Lainey Nichols '09

I cannot begin to express the excitement — our team has to play today!

The morning was left to us, but this evening was to be our first game against a Cambridge club. The pitch was ridiculous. Everything is just so green here. Lys (teammate) and I did cartwheels across the center circle when Coach left us to explore the surface as a team prior to the game.

We went with our all-white kit today — it was beyond sharp — until the rain. Never in my life have I seen such a black, violent storm arise so quickly. The size of each drop was surreal, and the previously all-white fabric of our jerseys changed instantly to an opalescent-looking material. Unfortunately, our Target-bought undergarments shone through. We looked like Easter eggs, but in typical Cat-U Women's Soccer style, the adverse conditions only made us crazier and louder. As the wind and rain punched our faces (some girls attested to feeling hail) and we waited for the ref to call the game, a couple of us gave Jersey fist pumps in the air and howled back at the wind. I felt like a Celt.

But ... game cancelled. Day over. Too much adrenaline conjured with nowhere to expend it. Solution? TEA PARTY!!! Until 2:30 a.m. The tea party involved freshman defender Jess Laroux, sophomore defender Layla Ghorbani, freshman midfielder Lena Suarez, junior forward Tashina Dawn Wilhelm, junior keeper Chelsea Binder, Catawba alum/former captain, Carrie Wollaston, the wearing of quirky British purchases (stunner shades were a must), and a line of soccer cones by the door delineating our "line of accent" — once passed the line, a British accent was required for admittance.

Needless to say, four pots of tea and six Tashina Dawn stories later, our energy levels had peaked and were now suffering from a bit of a decrescendo — we were dunskis (finished). Sides hurting, the result of Tash's dry, Fannie Flagg humor, we went to bed.

My dear roommate "Bean" (teammate Lena Suarez) and I decided to fall asleep with our curtains open for our last night in London, watching the train lights flicker over the water. Talk about a room with a view.