SWARTHMORE, Pa.—Swarthmore College Women's Soccer is set to embark for an adventure in Costa Rica in the second week of August. The Garnet's week-and-a-half preseason expedition features practice, training, three exhibition soccer games and plenty of tropical team building activities.

The Garnet look forward to spending time at the beach, snorkeling and sailing on catamarans, and in the rain forest, exploring waterfalls and hot springs, zip-lining, white water rafting, and more.

Aug. 16, 2017 (Yasmeen Namazie)
After 5 hours of quality bus nap time, the team arrived at a quiet souvenir shop to buy gifts and other local Costa Rican goods for family and friends. Bewildered by the concept of "sea salt chocolate", sophomore Sydney Covitz stocked up on an assortment of sweets for her home base. Half an hour after meandering about aisles of cheesy tourist apparel and an obscene amount of stuffed animal sloths, the team made way for the hotel in San Jose. 

Game time was only an hour after arrival, so the team had a quick lunch and gathered for the bus. At the onset of the match, the team felt a heightened level of intensity; the women of Saprisa were technical, making snap transitions and smooth ball movement across their back line. Capitalizing on a mispass, sophomore Sydney Covitz assisted junior Marin McCoy on a goal in the 21st minute. The team held its lead until a unfortunate penalty kick was called in the 63rd minute that squeezed by Senior goalie Sommer Denison's reach. 

Sophomore Lauren Savo, selected by Saprisa as the Swarthmore MVP, was a strong defensive presence. Although the Swatties left the game with a tie, there is high anticipation for the game to follow tomorrow.

Aug. 15, 2017 (Katie Dougherty)
An Ode to Whomstever it May Concern. 

The hot sun rises on yet another breathtaking day,
And the Women's Swarthmore soccer team awakes in their beds where they lay. 
What will their day entail you beseech!? 
A terrific trip to Tamarindo Beach. 
Where 23 lovely ladies swim in the glistening ocean and sunbath in the  sandy sand,
Others explore the touristy town and scrumptious shops on the fertile land. 
Savy souvenirs were purchased and beach soccer was played,
Shelly shells were collected and we surfed gnarly waves. 
We returned from the beach to quickly eat,
Then boarded a bus and took to the streets.
The team drove to a field in the middle of a small town. 
Where whomstever went down. 
The grassy grass field was surrounded by Costa Rican homes,
Where loquacious dogs and chatty chickens roamed. 
The players had to dodge these obstacles of poultry,
And try not to be distracted by Shancock's sunburn that was so sultry. 
The practice was tough in swelterling 100 degree heat,
But at the end of the practice we got to meet,
Children who came to watch us play,
They joined in and made our day. 
Later that night the team partwixt in a fiery night of competitive games. 
Where the winning team would get eternal fame. 
Betwixt two billiard tables many laughs were shared,
As 23 lovely ladies played pool, ping pong, and foosball against anyone who dared. 
Whomst's team came in last place you ask?
I will keep that a secret although a difficult task* 
That concludes our glorious and bountiful day, Eureka! 
We will be sure to continue to update you as we enjoy our final days in Costa Rica! 

*it was Erika

Aug. 14, 2017 (Lauren Savo)

Today was a success. After taking an approximately hour nap at 8:48 pm in order to write this blog post because I was so tired, I knew that today was successful. After walking up about 30 stairs and feeling as if I just ran a full marathon (psa have never even ran half of a half of a half marathon), I knew that today had been a successful day.

Some say the day began with the catamaran, others will say it began with Erika's killer workout, but I say it began when my alarm went off at 7:30 am. Next came breakfast, which consisted of colorful fruit, real eggs (hard for a college student to come by sometimes), and a big bowl of plain yoplait yogurt. Gosh, writing this is making me hungry for breakfast tomorrow morning....only 9 more hours to go! Following breakfast was a sweat dripping, heavy breathing, thought at one point my thighs were going to break off kind of workout by the one and only Erika Moyer. We made the beach our office this morning, testing and pushing our bodies' and our minds' limits.
Then came the catamaran, an experience that was so beautiful that any and all words I use to describe this experience will simply not do it justice. And so this is therefore where I end this blog post. Hahaha just kidding. It's one thing noticing the true beauty of our world, but noticing and experiencing that beauty with all of your best friends is an experience that is just as beautiful. Together we saw humpback wales, the sun's light seep through the clouds creating a heavenly aurora, humongous sea turtles, and a sunset that looked too beautiful to even be real. Together we sang our songs loudly and proudly, jumped off the side of the catamaran, applied sunscreen and drank water (!!!!), smiled, laughed, and enjoyed the side of Costa Rica that is untamed and pure. Only the Swarthmore College Women's Soccer team would find it fun to sit in a rainstorm on a catamaran, and that is why today was successful. It was so successful because we find joy, fun, and happiness in the simple things our world provides, and that in itself is beautiful.

Aug. 13, 2017 (Sydney Covitz)
Today was technically our day off, which meant we basically spent the last 12 hours in our bathing suits. We started off with breakfast and morning pickup soccer on the beach with some local guys. Although soccer in the sand is difficult, it is still so much fun. The ball stops on its own, and when it goes into the incoming surf, it changes directions all by itself. The game ended with fresh coconut water we were able to drink out of the shell.  
After a couple hours alternating between the beach and pool, we regrouped to play pool volleyball in a smaller pool with a volleyball net. We split into teams, dividing by east coast vs west. Being the competitive people we are, the game got intense pretty fast, and although our skills were limited, we brought a lot of other things to the court for almost two hours of play, including aggression, splashing, and a lot of laughter.
After dinner, we finished the day congregated in a room together squished into two beds, chilling out to music and chatter.

Aug. 12, 2017 (Izzy Branco-Lo)

Betwixt two palm trees in the sands of Flamingo beach a team of 22 met their 23rd member lounging in the hotel lobby. Amy Shmoys ('19) had been waiting since 8:00am to reconnect with her teammates. As the clock struck one, they filed in from the bus to greet Amy and the stunning pool view that lay just beyond her. A complete squad of 23 ate lunch by the beach as Amy recounted her adventures as an intern at Google to her captivated teammates. Sommer Denison ('18) exhaled a sigh of relief as she would no longer be the only goal keeper for the next two games. The scrumptious food, gorgeous view, and relaxing ambiance was just what the team needed in order to distract from the incident that had occurred just hours earlier.
The team had come from a 5 hour bus ride from San Carlos. Two hours in, the bus stopped for a snack and bathroom break. Unfortunately no one could predict how much "bathroom" occurred during this break. As they boarded the bus to continue on their journey, a pungent aroma infiltrated the nostrils of the passengers. A search party was assembled to get to the bottom of the mystery smell. It turns out that someone (who shall remain anonymous*) had tracked in some animal feces. Not only had the ground been contaminated, but backpacks and clothing lying in the bus's aisles had been compromised. Daniel, the tour guide, and Ramón, the bus driver, quickly and competently came to the rescue with cleaning supplies and air freshener. Unfortunately, there was no rescuing the girls from the traumatic memories from this incident.
After a much needed lunch to emotionally recover, the team took part in some afternoon beach yoga. The team enjoyed the relaxing session, which ended with someone (who shall remain anonymous**) attempting to eat the incense that touched each person's face at the final pose.
A team meeting discussing yesterday's scrimmage and another beachside meal followed. The night ended with a salsa dancing lesson from Daniel, the tour guide, although the definition of "dancing" should be taken loosely. Coordination was lacking, but the day's adventures were not. Everyone returned to their rooms excited for the days ahead.

*it was Erika
**it was Erika

Aug. 11, 2017 (Erika Moyer & Reba Magier)

Day 4 of our adventures in Costa Rica began with some zip lining! We traveled about an hour from our hotel to a location adjacent to the Arenal Volcano. We were met with beautiful views and a gondola ride up the mountain to start our ride. In total, we zip lined down six lines of varying heights and distances. A few of us were scared, but braved the heights and we all made it to the ground. We traveled back to the hotel for lunch consisting of pasta and chicken to fuel up for our game! After, we ventured to the town of San Carlos to play in a friendly match against the hometown team. The game started at 6 p.m. and the weather was the perfect temperature for soccer. Our first game of the 2017 season ended with a 10-0 win with goals from Katie Dougherty, Marin McCoy, Hannah Lichtenstein (3), Alex Frost, Brittany Weiderhold(2), Maddy Carens, and Eleonore Moser. At the end of the game San Carlos awarded the MVP title to junior forward Marin McCoy. We will be back in action with another game on Wednesday, Aug. 16 against another professional team, Saprissa. Until then, it's off to the Flamingo beach resort tomorrow to recover with some yoga and relaxation!

Aug. 10, 2017 (Sydney Covitz)

We started Thursday morning with a 8:00am breakfast style buffet similar to yesterday morning. We then loaded up the bus to head out for some white water rafting. We picked up our Wave Rafting tour guide along the way to give us some safety talks on our hour drive to the river. Hitting the water we paddled, spun, flipped and laughed our way through some intense class four rapids.  Half way through the trip, the river guides brought out these amazing pineapples and watermelons for us to eat. All the fruit here is beyond good; if you are ever in Costa Rica, make sure to eat every chance you get! After rafting, we stopped for lunch provided by the Wave Rafting crew consisting of rice and beans, chicken, fried plantains and a pineapple dessert. We then took the bus back to the hotel so we could relax for a few hours before our 6pm practice. Even the bus rides here are immensely entertaining—most of the roads we take cut straight through the rainforest, so we are constantly surrounded by dense, green vegetation broken up by some plowed grazing areas for lots and lots of funny looking but completely adorable cows. During our relaxation period, some girls hit the pool to read, nap, or tan while others stayed in their rooms to stay away from the heat.Our second training session was a lot cooler than yesterday mornings. We practiced at 6pm to get ready for our 6pm game on Friday. Practice consists of 1v1s, possession games, and a scrimmage at the end. Following practice, we headed straight to another buffet style dinner consisting of American type food: coleslaw, French fries, hot dogs, pasta and short cake type dessert. Tomorrow, we are going zip lining and playing our first friendly match vs. San Carlos, a local professional team.

Aug. 9, 2017 (Erika Moyer & Reba Magier)

Our second day in Costa Rica began with a 7:30am buffet style breakfast that featured eggs, sausages, plantains, fried yucca, and an assortment of fruits. After we fueled up we hit the soccer field! We powered through the humidity and had a great two-hour practice. We even had the pleasure of spotting (and posing) with a few iguanas who leisurely gathered in the trees and near our water cooler. Post practice we hit the showers and made our way to the pool to cool off as best we could to beat the humidity. After, our lunch time buffet featured quesadillas, fish, chips, guacamole and more. Once we had our fill, it was off to our first destination of the day; The Rio Fortuna Waterfall! We hiked 500 steps down into the rainforest to an opening that displayed the base of this amazing waterfall. We jumped in and were met with crisp water plunging over the cliff. We spent about an hour wading and taking pictures in the water before the arduous trek back up the steps to the bus and onto the hot springs. Located in the Arenal Volcano area, the Baldi hot springs features walking paths winding between various sized pools of both hot and cool water. We spent three hours lounging, swimming and sliding in the pools; some of which reached temperatures of 116 degrees! After, we enjoyed another amazing dinner and made our way to the bus to venture back to our hotel to rest up for another training session and white water rafting tomorrow!

Aug. 8, 2017 (Erika Moyer & Reba Magier)

Swarthmore Women's Soccer kicked off their trip with a 5-hour flight from BWI to San Jose Costa Rica. The flight was very smooth except for one minor accident on head coach Todd's part (pepper pants). We landed to a beautiful mountainous landscape and 80-degree overcast skies. Our wonderful tour guides picked us up from the airport and we boarded a charter bus a short distance to meet the entire Costa Rica soccer crew for orientation and a buffet style lunch. After, it was back to the bus for a three-hour trip to our hotel for the next few days. The trip consisted of passing through many quaint towns which were described to us as always having at least one Catholic church, one soccer field and one bar…which was true. We made a pit stop at a small gift shop where junior forward Marin McCoy was painting with the locals and recruiting fans to watch our upcoming games.  The terrain was very mountainous and rural. Our bus driver was very skilled in navigating through the traffic, bikers and small streets. Once we arrived to our hotel, it was off to another delicious buffet style dinner and retiring to our rooms for the remainder of the evening. First training session of the 2017 season begins at 9 am tomorrow!


Tweets by SwatWSoccer

Swarthmore Women's Soccer is coached by Todd Anckaitis, who is beginning his 13th year with the program, and he is assisted by Erika Moyer and Reba Magier. The Garnet are coming off their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and return three NSCAA All-Region Players: Marin McCoy, Hannah Lichtenstein and Melissa Curran.

The 2017 season begins for Swarthmore on Sept. 1 at home against William Paterson University.