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Women's Soccer Alumni Reunion and Game a Huge Success
April 5, 2006 UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Celebrating 10 seasons of exciting soccer, great friendships, and wonderful memories, nearly 40 University of Richmond women's soccer alums returned to campus for a 10th anniversary reunion event. The festivities began with a Friday night social at MOJO's hosted by Alison (Lages) Carleton. Each group joining the party was greeted with cheers as the numbers grew throughout the evening. On Saturday, the alums gathered at 1:00 p.m. to play a friendly match against the Varsity squad. The collection of lawyers, teachers, doctors, expectant mothers, businesswomen, and physical therapists put on a great show. The varsity scored first with Richmond freshman Jessie Wolfe netting a 25-yard blast and then a header off a Sarah Hilt corner kick to give the undergrads a 2-0 halftime lead. Dr. Kristin Samuhel, Richmond's record-setting goalkeeper, had a strong showing in the first half before stepping aside as Eileen Jacxsens, PhD took over in goal for the second half (No program in America has had smarter goalkeepers than Richmond). The alums rallied with an artfully placed penalty kick by Taddy Reh, to make it 2-1 before a late Melanie Varga breakaway sealed the result at 3-1 for the varsity squad. Stellar performances were put on by former Richmond stars Jaclyn Raveia, Nikki Bonilla, Brooke Sands, Heather Frick, Maya Clark, Meghan Ogilvie, and many others as the alums showed flashes of the brilliance of their earlier years. Former stars unable to play due to injuries, including Amy Moore, JJ Johnson, and Courtney Ficken provided support from the sidelines. Following the game, a reception in the Hall of Fame Room featured game clips from vintage UR victories, old media guides, press clippings, and memorabilia, and food and drink for everyone. Stalwart supporter Bill Street, always there for the team in victory or defeat, made another appearance and was warmly greeted by a host of old friends. Richmond Assistant Coach Brooke Sands did a great job organizing every detail, right down to the reunion t-shirts. The highlight of the weekend was the smiles on the faces of reunited teammates, separated by time and distance, as the stories got caught up and memories of the wonderful time they spent at Richmond were relived. Promises were made to do a better job of keeping in touch and to return for the 15th reunion in 2011. This was a great day for UR Women's Soccer!
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