Newspaper Page Text
t
8 ! Tuesday, October 23, 2001 | The Red & Black
SPORTS
Soccer stadium hosts Atlanta Beat
By MICHELLE KALEJTA
For The Red a Black
In less than a month, the
University will be hosting its
first women’s professional soc
cer game.
The Atlanta Beat of the
Women’s United Soccer
Association, the first-ever
women’s professional soccer
league, will take on the
Mexican national team in an
exhibition game Nov. 4.
The 4 p.m. match will be at
the women’s soccer stadium
on S. Milledge Avenue. It will
be one of the few chances to
see the Beat in the offseason.
Atlanta Beat head coach
Tom Stone said soccer at
Georgia has “great tradition.”
“There is a higher level of
women’s soccer here,” he said.
“With the Olympics being held
in Athens, the timing couldn’t
be better to continue promot
ing women’s soccer.”
Georgia head coach Sue
Patberg also is looking forward
to the match. The Bulldog
coach said drawing people to a
professional sports competition
here at home will increase inter
est in University athletics.
“I’m excited,” Patberg said.
“Anytime you can bring? a high
profile team into the area, it
will bring publicity to our pro
gram. How can you not want
to go watch a great team like
the Atlanta Beat play in our
own backyard?”
The Beat finished first in
last season’s WUSA regular-
season standings, but lost the
league’s first-ever champi
onship game Aug. 25. The Bay
Area CyberRays took home
the Founders Cup winning on
penalty kicks (4-2) after the
score was tied 3-3 following
regulation and two overtime
periods.
This match against Mexico
will be Atlanta’s first full
match since the WUSA cham
pionship and the Beat’s first-
ever versus a full international
squad.
Stone said several key play
ers to watch are Charmaine
Hooper, the team’s leading
scorer last season, Cindy
Parlow and Briana Scurry.
Parlow was the Beat’s sec
ond-leading scorer last season
and has already seen success
against Mexico in the past. A
member of the U.S. Olympic
and World Cup soccer teams,
she scored two goals against
Mexico last December.
Scurry was the No. 1 goal
keeper for the U.S. Women’s
National Team from 1994 to
1999. She led the U.S. to victory
in 1999 Women’s World Cup,
shutting out China in an over
time championship match.
The Beat played its home
games last season at Georgia
Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Due to renovations at Dodd, the
Beat will have a new home field.
Stone said the new site has
n’t been decided. It will proba
bly hold around 15,000 people.
With an average crowd of
13,000 last season and a grow
ing popularity, Stone said he is
looking forward to capacity
crowds next season.
Stone said that the players
are enthusiastic about the
game against the Mexico.
Not only is the game a
chance for the Beat to play an
international team, but it is
also a chance to expand
women’s soccer fan base.
“It is important to take our
show on the road,” he said.
Many of the league’s fans
are young female soccer play
ers, and WUSA players are
embracing the concept of
being role models.
Stone said Beat players rec
ognize that young female soccer
players are fans and WUSA
players want to show young
girls that to accomplish goals.
“You don’t have to be a pro
fessional soccer player,” Stone
said. “A girl can be a strong
woman not afraid to make sac
rifices.”
Not only will the match
against Mexico be a chance to
compete in a different city, but it
is also a chance to raise money
for the victims of the recent ter
rorist attacks. Proceeds from the
game will benefit the Sept. 11
disaster relief funds. Stone said
Beat players play an active role
in deciding where the proceeds
FILE | The Red * Black
▲ The Atlanta Beat professional women’s soccer
team will face Mexico at the soccer stadium Nov. 4.
go, and felt giving to the victims
of the attacks is the right thing
to do.
“All people, professional or
not, feel a desire to help, and
all have different ways to con
tribute,” Stone said. “This is
ours.”
Tickets will go on sale
Wednesday at noon. They can
be purchased through any
Ticketmaster outlet or by calling
1-877-SOCCER-l. Tickets are
$15 for general admission bleach
er seats, and $10 standing room
With a maximum venue capacity
of 3,000, the game is expected to
sell out quickly.
— Contributing:
WUSA.com, The Atlanta
Beat.com
Baseball added
as a club sport
The University is adding
baseball to its list of club
sports for the first time.
A meeting will be held
tonight in room 140 of The
Tate Student Center at 9
for anyone interested.
Because this is the first
club baseball team, the
meeting will focus mainly
on the organization’s
structure.
Dean Roy, a sophomore
from New Orleans,
initiated the new club’s
development. Paperwork is
being filed to make the it
official.
Right now the team is
looking for future players.
Roy said that playing expe
rience is highly encour
aged. Anyone who played
in high school or who tried
out for the varsity team
and did not make it should
join.
This spring is “basicall;
a time for guys who haven’
played in a while to ge
back into the groove o
things,” Roy said.
Roy said he believes th<
team will be highly com
petitive and face of
against such teams a:
Georgia Tech, Furman
Clemson and Georgis
Southern.
Scrimmages with othe:
schools are likely thi;
spring, but the real seasoi
will not kick off until ney
fall.
At that time, official try
outs will be held to deter
mine who will be on th<
team.
If you cannot make it t<
the meeting tonight o:
have any question:
contact Dean Roy at (706
296-3039.
— Beth Crovat
New Digital
Promotional
Rates
Expanded
Local Coverage
Area
It’s All
FREE!
•With approved Credit.
•Verizon Wireless Contract
Required. Restrictions Apply.
•Offer only available at Money
Talks Cellular & Wireless.
Not available in Verizon
Wireless Direct Stores
Cellular & Wireless Inc.
Digital Wireless Phone “
(New CDMA Digital Technology) $49.99
FREE Car Charger $29.99
FREE Hands Free Mic $29.99
FREE Leather Case $29.99
You save $139.96 Athens
$39.99 Includes 3,400 minutes (706) 227-2799
with nationwide long distance
Limited Time Offer
Free Delivery
NEXT TO HONEY BAKED HAM
ON ATLANTA HWY
V—■—VBmOnwimless
AUTHORIZED RETAILER
GOLDEN DRAGON
RESTAURANT
CHINESE MANDARIN CUISINE
(with FREE Soft Drink)
ONLY $10.00 ($40 value) INCLUDES:
• FDRCP for kittens, DAP/PARVO for puppies
• Deworming for round and hookworms
• Examination • First Vaccination
(Applies to pets 6 weeks to 6 months of age)
'COMPANION
ANIMAL HOSPITAL
HAMPT0I
W. BROAD ST.
INf
[^CHECKERS
GOLDEN
DRAGON
a
□
0
£t
C0
1
*
Obcobeu.
dwENors
Valid with this Coupon , Valid with this Coupon
or UGA ID Card I orUGAIDCard
Expires 12/1/01 J
D1NE-IN *TAKE OUT
126 Alps Road • Athens GA, 30606
Next to Wherehouse Music
706-552-1688
2000 U.S. 29 North • Athens, GA 30601
www.companionvets.com
MEXICALI GRILLE I
Lime Margarita Singles Reg. $3.95
Domestic Bottles Reg. $1.95
11 v2S
^2’^OFF Flavored Margarita Pitchers
*2"**Beer Pitchers (60 oz.) Reg. $4.25
Mercer University and
Georgia Baptist College of Nursing...
...a unique merger offering a unique opportunity
On Jan. 1, 2001, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing merged with
Mercer University, bringing together two institutions of higher
0 learning, each with a rich tradition of academic excellence.
The nearly 100-year-old College of Nursing:
• Offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree
• Offers the RN-BSN Advanced track
• Has a 10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio overall
• Gives students three years of hands-on clinical instruction
As part of Mercer University, the College of Nursing is:
• Relocating from downtown Atlanta to Mercer’s 300-acre Cecil B. Day
Campus in northeast Adanta, January 2002
• Moving into a new, $ 10 million, state-of-the-art teaching facility,
January 2002
• Planning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, Fall 2002
Come to our open houses
Saturday, Oct, 27, 2001 and
Saturday Feb. 23, 2002.
We are currently accepting applica
tions for spring and and fall
2002. For more information,
call (678) 547-6700 or visit
nursing.mercer.edu.
MERCER
JL ▼ JLU Nl V E R S I T Y
V'
*