Remember in 1999 when Brandi Chastain electrified the nation with her game-winning penalty kick in the World Cup?
Women's soccer has been one of the most rapid growing sports in the United States ever since. The Women's United Soccer Association was born on April 14, 2001. But until this year, the ASU club scene had not fielded a team.
"I was amazed there wasn't a team when I checked the [Student Recreation Complex] Web site," ASU sophomore Jessica Dement said. "I thought it was a joke."
ASU sophomore Jen Panetta wanted to play so badly that she took matters into her own hands. After countless meetings with club officials, Panetta established the women's soccer club at ASU.
"I just really wanted to play, and I was going to do everything in my power to make it happen," said Panetta, who appointed herself club president.
But getting the club together in time for the season has been no small task. Trying to get the word out and put the numbers together for a competitive team has been somewhat difficult.
"It's frustrating at times because sometimes there are different degrees of dedication and experience," ASU sophomore center midfielder Krissy Krysiak said.
The team was rewarded for its hard work. Despite practicing for only a couple weeks, it was invited to a tournament earlier this month in Tucson.
The Sun Devils didn't fare all that well against teams from Arizona and California, but to have put the club together in such a short amount of time, the invitation to the tournament was a sign of the club moving in the right direction.
"I was just excited and happy that I got to play on a team and be in that kind of atmosphere again," Panetta said.
Maintaining the club is now the main focus.
"It's exciting and frustrating at the same time," Dement said. "I'm really glad we have one started. It was just hard to get things going, but things will get better as time goes by."
Most the players on the team have been competing for a better part of their lives. Now that things are all put together, the competitive spirit is starting to show.
"We need to get dedicated people to come out so we can be competitive," Dement added.
Reach the reporter at john.powers@asu.edu.
