First collegiate playing time

10/21/09 2:02 AM

First I’d like to thank you for taking it EZ with DZ for the second time. Playing soccer at the collegiate level has always been a big goal of mine, and finally on Sept. 27,  against Valparaiso, I booked my first minutes. You see, a lot had to go wrong for me to get into this game. The two players ahead of me both had to get hurt, and sure enough, they unfortunately did. At the end of regulation, the game was tied 1-1.  After our starting right back injured his knee and our substitute right back began to experience cramping, Coach Eitz had no choice but to put me in.  “Alright here’s how we are starting overtime,” said Coach Eitz, “across the back the line we’re going Westburg, Kino, Ferner and De Zeeuw.” When overtime had...

Kansas City

9/29/09 10:27 PM

This past weekend, the Loyola Ramblers men’s soccer team flew to Kansas City, Mo., to take on the UMKC Kangaroos and the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in the UMKC Invitational.  One of the perks of being a collegiate athlete is that you get to travel all over the country to play the sport you love. However, for seven Loyola Rambler soccer players (Alex De Zeeuw [me], Tanner Nebbia, Justin Koehler, Michael Ferguson, Christian Krueger, Willie Koss and Josh Westberg) this wasn’t just a perk of getting to travel, but rather, for us seven players, it was a trip home. The trip home was quite the experience.  When I landed in Kansas City, I felt like I was home, but it was quite unsettling to know that it was just for a weekend soccer trip.  When I usually come home from...