Tips, Tricks, and No's

Hello folks!

We can’t believe it is almost November already! Our time with you is almost up. We have a few more posts for you before we must part and we’ll try our best to make them interesting. This week, we decided to give you a special something called “Kels & Mo’s Tips, Tricks, and No’s” from our old and wise selves. A “How to Be A Panther for Dummies”, if you will.

Before we get to that, let’s catch you up on the past week vs. Valparaiso. As many of you know, we played the undefeated Crusaders last Thursday night. We left Milwaukee mid afternoon for a short bus ride down to Indiana and were ready for a great game. Come 7 o’clock, the game was underway. The first half was very even, both teams had some good chances but Valpo was the team to take the lead in the 16th minute. We didn’t let that get in our way too much and controlled the game from then on. Second half was all Panthers. For 45 minutes we had been on the attack, Vienna Behnke even tied it up but the goal was called back by the referee due to obstruction in the box… Not clear on that, but we’ll leave that for another day or another blog. Our second half was very encouraging to see. We played with more energy than we have perhaps the entire season but were unable to find an equalizer.

This season has been an unusual scene for Panther Soccer, but we have held our heads high and have continued to make the season one to remember. There really is no shortage of fun and laughs when the team is together. Recently a few of us tried our nerves at a haunted corn maze and it was pretty entertaining. Long story short, we are scaredy-cats x100.

Ok, now for the main event! We have been around Panther Women’s Soccer for quite some time now (call us seasoned veterans) and contrary to popular belief, we have learned more than just how to kick a soccer ball these past four years. We have some tips, some tricks and some definite no no’s to the Panther Soccer lifestyle that we’d love to pass on to you all, future Panthers or not. Here they are:  

Tips:

1. Get to know everyone on the team; there are some pretty cool people you can meet. Even if it takes some of them a couple of months to speak (Morgan), we promise it’s worth the wait. Look at us now!
2. Double check your shoe bag at least three times before leaving on a roadtrip. Or maybe cuatro if your name is Jenni!
3. Always bring a pillow on the bus. (-Morgan)
4. Always bring a blanket on the bus. (-Morgan)
5. Always bring more homework than you think you’ll need on the bus. You can get so much done!! (-Kelsey)
6. Be supportive of your teammates and don’t forget to smile. It’s not so bad!!
7. Always get food after practice, and take some for later. (Or for your whole block if you are Swittel!)
8. Get to know your fellow Panther athletes. On that note, good luck to Cross Country this weekend in the Horizon League Championships, to Swimming & Diving vs. Wright State, and to Volleyball vs. Green Bay!
9. Invest in a good pair of gloves, you will thank yourself when it snows during practice.
10. On that note, practice will NEVER get cancelled due to weather. Start walking.
11. When you’re not at soccer, do homework. When you’re not doing homework, nap. (Note: does not apply to all.)
12. Buy new pairs of jeans before you rip them in the spring season. Save yourself the tears!!! (That is both tears in your jeans and tears in your eyes.) Pun intended.
13. Drive to practice in the winter. It is always worth it.
14. Enjoy every moment you have as a Panther because it goes by faster than you could ever imagine.

Tricks:

1. Act like you are tying your shoes/getting a drink of water when the team has to move the goals (jk, don’t do this, help the team…)
2. Claim as many lockers as possible.
3. Stay till the end of team dinners and you just might get to take the rest home.
4. When waking up at 5:30… no wait, there are no tricks. It does not get easier.
5. Sleep in the locker room. If you have any questions, please refer to Tailer Roscoe.  She is a seasoned pro. 

No’s:

1. Never skip laundry.
2. Never touch Vienna’s hair. Seriously, don’t.
3. Never forget a meal.
4. Never be late!! Early is on-time.
5. Don’t go more than two days without a shower. (I would say one, but that’s just me???? –Kelsey)
6. Don’t bother Olivia Wright in the morning (grumpy-pants).
7. Don’t leave snack-packs in the locker room for more than a week.  
8. Don’t forget to return recovery socks. (Sorry, Dave)

That’s all we’ll share. Can’t give away ALL of our secrets to being such great Panthers!!! Just kidding, but that’s all we got for now. Later this week we have our annual Halloween practice and we take our last road trip to Detroit where we take on the Titans 3 PM EST Friday. Should be a great end to the season. Stay tuned! 

PEACE, LOVE & PANTHERS

KELS & MO

Tweet us your photos of you dressing up as us for Halloween!!!! We hear #6 and #25 jerseys are selling off the shelves. #Celebrities #PanthersDoHalloween  

Some off-the-field fun

Hello fans!

BILB is back—we hope you didn’t miss us too much. Since we last wrote, we have had three games, one at the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay (L 2-0), and two at home against Wright State University (L 1-0) and Oakland University (T 0-0).

We wish we could be reporting better results, but unfortunately this is the way things have gone the past two weeks. We did not come out strong enough in the first half of our Green Bay match, and that cost us. We gave up a goal in the first twenty minutes, and could not get much going after that. Credit to Green Bay for a hard fought match. We then returned home for a game against Wright State. Despite having a stronger start and creating some early chances, we got scored on again in the first twenty minutes of the match with a redirected finish off a couple of players in the box. We responded well and attempted seventeen shots in the game, compared to Wright State’s two, but we could not find the back of the net. We worked extremely hard in training in our break and really tried to get regrouped for Saturday’s matchup with Oakland.

We again outshot our opponents, this time 11-8 and generated 7 corner kicks. We had a couple of great chances and near goals by Krissy Dorre, Maria Stephans, Morgan LaPlant, Kelly Lewers, and Sydney Senn. (Highlights). We are just struggling to find the back of the net. We are in the midst of a dry spell worse than the drought of ’77. Goal time is coming soon!

Looking ahead, we play the top two ranked teams in the conference, Valparaiso and Detroit, both on the road. We travel to the undefeated (in conference) Valpo for a mid-week match up Wednesday at 7:30.

Though we are really not satisfied with our results, particularly in the Horizon League so far, we’ve had a couple of great reminders of how awesome it is to be a Panther lately that we wanted to shed light on. Though we certainly would be happy with a few more wins under our belt and increasing the level of our play, we can not help but reflect on how great our Panther family is.

Last week we spent our Friday night carving pumpkins together. It is always a fun time when we get the team together off the field, and this proved to be no different. We each have our own talents, as you can see, but it has been a tradition these last few years that we’re hoping will continue for a long time to come.

The Oakland match was also our Pink Out Day in which we support Breast Cancer awareness and fundraising organizations. With many players’ families affected by breast cancer, this was another reminder of how lucky we are and just how much we all care about each other. Shout out to Dave for picking out some cool pink jerseys!

After the Oakland match, the Manski Family, with the help of the Wests and many other parents, set up a pretty awesome tailgate, with huge grills, a refrigerator, tables, chairs, and about 10 tables of food aka heaven on earth for us hungry Panthers. Even though we were all disappointed with our tie, we had a great time and it was so nice to get everyone together. Thank you Awesome Amusements!

As if we hadn’t eaten enough already…. we then went to Caity Bestwina’s house where her family (and perfect dog) set up a Caramel Apple Bar. M&Ms, nuts, oreos, chocolate drizzle, marshmallows, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips, cool whip, gluten free oreos, the whole nine yards. We were able to get together, smile, and enjoy each others’ company once again. When things have not been going as planned, this is a pretty neat thing, and we know it’s something we are really going to miss next year. Can you tell we are seniors? How sentimental are we???!!

We also know that our season is not done yet. We are looking forward to these last few road trips and games and truly want nothing more than two good wins. We hope to be blogging about just that next week.

This week: #RISEANDROARontheroad

Kels and Morgs

Senior Day

Friends, family, teammates and other subscribers to the top blog on the soccer sphere, we welcome you back to a very special and sentimental senior edition of Blog It Like Beckham. As many of you know (or don’t know) this past weekend we took time to celebrate the old ladies on the team for the annual Senior Night. This year, Senior Night fell on a game closer to the middle of the season than the end, and I (Morgan) think that might have been a good thing, because my emotions weren’t ready for a final game on Engelmann, quite yet. We took on Cleveland State, but before kickoff, us seniors got spoiled by our teammates, coaches, friends, families, and our Athletic Department staff.

I think we can speak for all the seniors in saying it was a very special night. The underclassmen did a great job providing us with unconditional love and plenty of treats the moment we stepped into the locker room. And from there, things just kept getting better and better. Mr. Behnke hooked us all up with some pretty cool posters, and the coaches gave us some words of encouragement, notes, hugs, and some lovely flowers. Our parents were right there with us as we walked out and celebrated our last four years as a Panther Women’s Soccer Player.

After a bit of a slow start, allowing Cleveland State a first half goal, we were able to tie up the match in the second half on a great through ball from Maria Stephans to Kelly Lewers, who calmly finished in the 48^th minute. Kelly earned Horizon League Offensive Player of the week- well deserved, Kel! Despite having 17 shots in the match, we settled for a tie, and while we were happy to pull back to level with the Vikings, we were not pleased with this result. We look forward to the remainder of our matches to get the results we are looking for and prove just how capable we are.

Mr. Behnke put together a short senior questionnaire that was filled out by all the seniors. It didn’t quite make it into the packed day, so we wanted to include it in here. We were asked a few questions about our 4 years and to describe our fellow seniors in five words or less, here’s what we came up with:

Kelly Lewers

Homewood, IL

Psychology and Political Science Major

Future plan is to become a lawyer

Favorite on field memory = beating Marquette this year

favorite off field soccer memory = all of the Christmas parties

·       Vienna Behnke: a great singer/lover of waffles

·       Caity Bestwina: would kill for sushi or chili's

·       Krissy Dorre: sweeter than her new puppy

·       Kelsey Holbert: always manicured and smiling

·       Amy Kauffung: organized is an understatement 

·       Morgan LaPlant: future stand-up comedian

·       Kelly Lewers: not a morning person

·       Emma Worthington: made of coffee and smoothies

Special thanks to Greg, Dave, Jon, Keara, Chad, and my parents for making the last four years so great and memorable!

Vienna Behnke

Hometown:  Neenah, WI

Major/degree:  Bachelor of arts in psychology; currently pursuing a master's degree in experimental psychology with an emphasis in behavioral analysis

Future plans or dream job: get PhD in experimental psychology to be a research psychologist

Favorite on-field soccer memory: scoring the goal that sealed the regular season conference championship against Oakland in 2013

Favorite off-field soccer memory: going to pancake house with the team

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer: 

·       Vienna Behnke: dedicated, intense, loud

·       Caity Bestwina: efficient, quick, short-tempered

·       Krissy Dorre: compassionate, animal lover, generous

·       Kelsey Holbert: smiley, encouraging

·       Amy Kauffung: fierce, competitive, quirky

·       Morgan LaPlant: creative, funny, the instigator

·       Kelly Lewers: sleepy, easy-going, laid back

·       Emma Worthington: flexible, outgoing

Special thanks: to my mom and dad for coming to all my games and for helping me truly enjoy the game of soccer

Caity Bestwina    

Hometown: Tinley Park, IL    

Major/degree: Psychology and Sociology

Future plans or dream job: Work with developmentally disabled (specifically autistic) kids

Favorite on-field soccer memory: making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament

Favorite off-field soccer memory: playing catch phrase on the bus rides

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer: 

·       Vienna Behnke: fitness fanatic, driven, hard worker

·       Caity Bestwina: driven, dependable, hard working

·       Krissy Dorre: animal lover, talented, quiet, warmhearted

·       Kelsey Holbert: leader, high achiever, dependable, enthusiastic

·       Amy Kauffung: organized, thoughtful, ambitious

·       Morgan LaPlant: hysterical, witty, fast, jokester

·       Kelly Lewers: self-demanding, impressionable, generous

·       Emma Worthington: intelligent, motivated, patient

Special thanks: to my parents for supporting me all these years and to my teammates who make all of this so enjoyable

Krissy Dorre    

Hometown: Joliet, Illinois

Major/degree: Social Work & Psychology

Future plans or dream job: I would like to run therapy sessions out of my home

Favorite on-field soccer memory: Last year when we went back and forth with scoring to win the Horizon League Tournament against Oakland

Favorite off-field soccer memory: When we went to the Steinhauser's farm and it happened to be my birthday that day :)

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer:

·       Vienna Behnke: intelligent, great singer, fearless, friend

·       Caity Bestwina: friend, funny, relentless, devoted, strong

·       Krissy Dorre: caring, chill, funny, composed

·       Kelsey Holbert: leader, supportive, dedicated, caring, funny  

·       Amy Kauffung: organized, funny, very sweet, smart

·       Morgan LaPlant: team jokester, spontaneous, friend, loves music

·       Kelly Lewers: goofy, caring, sweet, good dancer

·       Emma Worthington: smart, loves yoga, dedicated, fun

Special thanks: To my parents; Jill, Roger, Bob, & Nena for all the unconditional support and love that you have given me in and out of soccer, through the good times and the bad. My teammates for everything we have accomplished and for being wonderful friends. The coaches for never giving up on us and helping me reach my potential and my goals. Also, to all the parents for the nonstop support for that last 4 years. Thank you all :)

Morgan LaPlant    

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Major/degree: Marketing

Future plans or dream job: Future plans are unclear, possibly grad school.  Dream job is to own a business.

Favorite on-field soccer memory: Going 4-0 up on Marquette. 

Favorite off-field soccer memory: all of the road trips 

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer:

·       Vienna Behnke: Dedicated, adventurous, dependable 

·       Caity Bestwina: Kind, punctual, helpful 

·       Krissy Dorre: Easy-going, positive, fun 

·       Kelsey Holbert: Nice, clever, hard working 

·       Amy Kauffung:Organized, thoughtful, responsible 

·       Morgan LaPlant: friendly, motivated 

·       Kelly Lewers: energetic, friendly, modest 

·       Emma Worthington: Smart, nice, confident 

Special thanks: To my parents, family, coaches and everyone who has supported me for the last 21 years.

Kelsey Holbert

Hometown: Western Springs, IL

Major/degree: Chemistry Major, Biology Minor / Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Future plans or dream job: I will be applying to Medical School this Spring. My dream job is to be a physician or be involved in medical research at a hospital.

Favorite on-field soccer memory: The 2013 Horizon League Championship was my favorite on-field soccer memory. It was such a great team effort and I will remember that feeling forever!

Favorite off-field soccer memory:  Going to my house in Western Springs with the team for dinner on my birthday last year after a big Panther win. All of my favorite things!

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer:

•       Vienna Behnke: Hardworking, Disciplined, Talented

•       Caity Bestwina: Dependable, Fun, Lively

•       Krissy Dorre: Kind, Warm, Loving

•       Kelsey Holbert: Proud of all my teammates!!

•       Amy Kauffung: Organized, Caring, Trustworthy

•       Morgan LaPlant: Sweet, Funny, Thoughtful

•       Kelly Lewers: Generous, Lighthearted, Considerate

•       Emma Worthington: Hardworking, Determined, Full of Life

Special thanks: To my awesome parents and two sweet sisters for making it to SO many games in the last 16 years of my soccer career and for being my rocks--I love you guys!  To my teammates and their families for being such great people who I care about greatly, to all of the coaches I have had at UWM, particularly Greg, Jon, Dave, and Keara for ALL that you do for us, Chad and the athletic training staff for putting up with my countless injuries, Nicole McCoy for being a great advisor and friend, and the Athletic Department for an awesome student-athlete experience.  Finally, thank you to all of these people and more for opening doors, carrying my backpack/crutches/coffee/laundry/etc., and giving me rides and hugs whenever I needed through this injury. I can't say how much I appreciate it!!

Amy Kauffung

Hometown: Hartland, WI

Major/degree: Kinesiology, minor in Healthcare Administration

Future plans or dream job: Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

Favorite on-field soccer memory: winning the Horizon League Championship every single year, and keeping the streak alive this year :)

Favorite off-field soccer memory: not one specific memory, but being together without the pressure of soccer is always a relaxing, fun memory 

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer:

·       Vienna Behnke: ambitious, driven, opinionated (in a good way) 

·       Caity Bestwina: serious, assertive, eager 

·       Krissy Dorre: positive, honest, respectful  

·       Kelsey Holbert: leader, dedicated, kind

·       Amy Kauffung: competitive, organized, motivated

·       Morgan LaPlant: jokester, loveable, enthusiastic  

·       Kelly Lewers: devoted, adventurous, easy-going

·       Emma Worthington: enthusiastic, responsible, intelligent 

Special thanks: to my parents for making it to every single game, rain or shine, and being there for me always; don't know what I would do without their love and support, on and off the field!

Emma Worthington

Hometown: Shoreview, MN

Major/degree: Pre-Med, Anthropology Major

Future plans or dream job: Go to medical school and become a doctor.

Favorite on-field soccer memory: Beating Oakland in the HL final last year. 

Favorite off-field soccer memory: Carving pumpkins, Secret Santa; every moment is wonderful with this team. 

Describe yourself and each of your fellow seniors in five words or fewer:

·       Vienna Behnke: Always remembers everything, grad student, passionate

·       Caity Bestwina: Competitive, Honest, Good cook, Smart

·       Krissy Dorre: Fighter, Sweetheart, Compassionate, Adaptable, Supportive

·       Kelsey Holbert: Compassionate, Diligent, Intelligent, Organized, Color-coded

·       Amy Kauffung: Organized, Confident, Competitive, Generous, Supportive

·       Morgan LaPlant: Clever, Funny, Fast, Outgoing

·       Kelly Lewers: Relaxed, Compassionate, Smart, Funny

·       Emma Worthington: Positive, Hard-working, Unique, Smart

Special thanks: My parents. Mom and Dad, you guys have been there for me every step of the way. I don’t know what I would do without you. Thank you for your endless love, support, wisdom, and inspiring presence. I am so lucky to have you as parents. I love you!

Thanks for putting that together Mr. Behnke, you are making our job that much easier ;)

As we conclude this post, we’d like to send another thanks to our coaches, teammates, parents, family and friends for making senior night one that we will never forget. If you all knew how much we both cried that day…

Next up, Green Bay this Wednesday. It’ll be a good one, folks. Until then, if you can’t bend it, blog it and if you can’t blog it…take a photo and tweet us with the hashtags #PawsUp #Rise&Roar.

Yours truly,

Kelsey and Morgan