Women's soccer team readies for season after trip to England
Lady Quakers go 2-2 in UK tour
08/14/07

Members of the Wilmington College women's soccer team pose with players from Blackburn Rovers FC following their match in England.

Less than a week after its return from a tour of the United Kingdom, the Wilmington College women’s soccer team has turned its attention to the 2007 season — but not without first collecting and storing some priceless memories from the other side of the pond.

“It was a tremendous trip. Experiencing the English culture and English football was incredible,” Wilmington head coach Steve Spirk said. “We visited three professional stadiums. Just to see how big football is in England is something our kids will remember for a long time.”

The WC squad spent nine days in Great Britain and compiled a 2-2 record, with wins over Colchester FC (3-0) and Blackburn Rovers FC (5-1) and losses to Watford FC (4-1) and Stockport FC (1-0). Spirk said the defeats were just as important to his squad’s development as the victories.

“The losses helped us learn things that we need to do better and the things that we do well,” Spirk said. “The trip started with a 4-1 defeat and ended with a 5-1 victory. We played against strong competition. They played tough, hard-nosed soccer.”

The trip, Spirk said, involved sightseeing, a heaping helping of European gastronomy and the intangible chemistry of camaraderie that will hopefully pay dividends later this fall.

“It was exciting to do everything together as a team,” Spirk said. “They got to do some team-building activities. It was a tremendous experience that I feel will benefit them as players and people.”