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By Jay Saunders
Staff writer
In front of a sold out stadium and a
national television audience, Karina
LeBlanc stood in the shadow of the
goal - just 20 yards from Mia Hamm,
the world’s most prolific goalscorer.
The dangerous right leg of Hamm,
• the US. striker, reared back to rip off a
shot from point blank range. With 108
career goals, Hamm wasn’t known to
miss many good opportunities.
But LeBlanc stopped her cold.
LeBlanc, Nebraska’s starting
goalie this fall, was playing for the
Canadian national team in the first
women’s soccer game broadcast on
U.S. national television.
The only problem, LeBlanc said,
was that she didn’t really know what
was going on.
“During the game,” LeBlanc said,
“I didn’t really pay attention t6 who
was there. After the game, I realized,
‘Woah, that was Mia Hamm.’”
The game against the United
States was just part of a summer that
saw four Cornhusker players in the
Women’s World Cup.
LeBlanc, along with fellow
Huskers Isabelle Momeau, Sharolta
Nonen and Amy Walsh, played for the
Canadian national team.
The so-called “Cornhusker
Connection” had the opportunity to
play for their country in front of big
crowds on the world’s largest stage.
The first game Canada played in
the World Cup was at Spartan Stadium
in San Jose, Calif. The Canadians tied
Japan, but Walsh said the experience
stuck in her mind.
“The pitch was unbelievable,”
Walsh said. “Walking into there, the
noise was deafening.”
With the event in the.United
States, many family and friends were
able to watch the Canadians in person.
One of those friends was fellow
Husker Jenny Benson, who saw a
game at Giants Stadium.
“I was an avid watcher of the
World Cup,” Benson said. “It was neat
to see my fellow teammates playing
for their country.”
Walsh, Momeau and Nonen each
saw considerable playing time in each
of the team’s three first-round match
es.
For LeBlanc, the U.S. exhibition
was the only action she saw this sum
mer. But she was able to put on a good
enough show to receive praise from
Hamm and members of the U.S.
coaching staff >
“That was the biggest game I have
ever played in,” LeBlanc said. “You
see those people on television, and at
that moment they recognized you as a
player equal to them.”
As a defender, Nonen not only saw
big names like Hamm and Cindy
Parlow, but she also had to defend
strikers from Japan, Russia and
Norway, which finished third.
Despite all of the pomp and cir
cumstance of the World Cup, Walsh
said they were there to play - and to
win.
But their goal of qualifying for the
second round did not become a reality.
The Canadian team ended up losing
two games and tying once.
Canada gave up four goals to
Russia, and seven to Norway.
Morneau, who played defense, said
the results were hard to stomach.
“It was a bit depressing,” Momeau
said. “It took me a while to watch the
games on TV”
«——
... I didn’t really pay
-
attention to who was
there. After the game,
I realized, ‘Woah, that
was Mia Hamm.’”
-1 0 I Ml '
, : Karina LeBlanc
Canadian World Cup team member
But Momeau and the others have
watched those games, and are back in
Lincoln to share what they have
learned.
Even though the Canadian team
didn’t achieve the level of success they
had hoped, each of the World Cup vet
erans say they brought back a great
deal from the experience.
“We played the biggest teams in
the world,” Momeau said. “Obviously,
when we came back, I was a more
experienced player. It will have an
impact on the way I play.”
And the experiences these four
players had this summer may have an .
impact on Nebraska’s success this sea
son.
NU is ranked in the top 10 in most
preseason polls, and has one of the
toughest schedules in the country.
If nothing else, Nonen said, the
World Cup experience brought the
Canadian players closer together off
the field as well.
“(The World Cup) made me a bet
ter player,” Nonen said. “But coming
back here, it’s good to know I have
friends here that are really important.'”
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N. x A A /
‘Embarrassing’
season leaves
NU men hungry
Women seek return to NCAAs
By Joshua Camenzind
Staff writer
• To put it mildly, the 1999
Nebraska Men’s Cross Country team
is optimistic.
we had a ter
rible year last
year,” NU Coach
Jay Dirksen said.
“It was the worst
year since I have
been here. It was
embarrassing to
me as a coach - so
we will definitely
UirKsen be better than last
year because we
can’t get much worse.”
The Comhusker men will be led
by senior team captain Tony Smith and
junior Marcus Witter.
Dirksen said he is excited to see
how Witter performs after a summer
of training.
“He is developing the potential to
be a great runner,” Dirksen said.
“Finally the lights are coming on, and
he is realizing you have to work hard
to go with natural ability. I look for
him to be one of the top runners in the
conference.”
The men are also benefiting from
a group of incoming freshmen who
will be forced to grow up quickly with
the help of a tough schedule. Jed Barta
from Idaho Falls, Idaho, should be an
immediate contributor to a team that
needs a couple of underclassmen to
step up, Dirksen said.
“This year, we have one of the best
- if not the best - recruiting class since
I have been here,” Dirksen said.
The Nebraska women, Dirksen
said, are also filled with potential and
exceptional ability.
“They are going to be a real good
team,” Dirksen said. “How much of a
good team is up to them and what they
do with their talent.”
Senior Jaime Pauli is the captain of
a team looking to return to the NCAA
championships after placing 23rd last
year.
Transfer Michelle Brooks, from
England, and sophomore Jeannette
Zimmer will be the team’s front-run
ners this season. Dirksen said he is
very impressed with Zimmer’s
improvement from last year.
“Jeannette was our best runner last
year as a freshman, and she has
improved greatly” Dirksen said. “She
is better than ever.”
One question mark for the
women’s squad is Miijana Glisovic.
The Yugoslavian’s status is still
unknown, Dirksen said, but if she does
make the team, it will only boost its
talent. -
The Huskers will open their sea
son Sept. 4 at the Bearcat Distance
Classic in Maryville, Mo.
