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Growing up in Steamboat Springs, Colo., LizMasterson was an avid soccer player, skier,snowboarder and ice hockey player.

Since moving to New York state in 2001to attend St. Lawrence Univer-sity in Canton, St. LawrenceCounty, the 23-year-oldhas made quite a namefor herself.

While in schoolshe was chosen forthe National SoccerCoaches Associationof America FirstTeam. She also wasnamed four times tothe First Team All-Conference team.

For about a year after col-lege, she played semi-pro soccerfor the Massachusetts Stingers.

And in 2006, she joined theRochester Raging Rhinoswomen’s soccer team asco-captain.

STORY BY PAM COWANpamc@rochesterinsider.com

PHOTOS BY MATT WITTMEYERmattw@rochesterinsider.com

LIZ MASTERSON

LIZ MASTERSON (IN LESS THAN A MINUTE)

ROCHESTER RHINOS WOMEN’S TEAM

AGE: 23

OCCUPATIONS: Assistant coach for the women’ssoccer team at Manhattanville College in Pur-chase, Westchester County; mid-fielder for theRochester Rhinos women’s team

RESIDENCE: Rochester during the Rhinos’ season

and Westchester County the rest of the year

EDUCATION: 2005 graduate of St. LawrenceUniversity with a bachelor’s degree in govern-ment. She’s currently getting her master’s insports business management at ManhattanvilleCollege.

ON PLAYING IN ROCHESTER:“I think the Rhinos offer the women’s side a lotmore,” though they don’t get paid. “I like that ourcoach, Peter (Amos), is really involving us in thecommunity. We also get to play in a stadium.”

ON WHO THEY PLAY:

“Pretty much Canadian teams — Toronto, Ottawa,Laval and Hamilton. One team from Vermont.”

ON PLAYING FOR FREE:“We just grew up never knowing that we could getpaid, so we play because we love the game.”

PREGAME RITUAL: “I do a crossword puzzle.”

Before the 2007 season gotunder way, Masterson, a centermidfielder, talked with insiderabout her career and her hopes tosome day play in a fully profes-sional league.

Why did you focus on this sport?I think it’s mostly the friendships

that I made on my team (as a child) thatreally attracted me to soccer and kept meplaying. I still have friends from when I was10 years old who were on my soccer team.

You’re from Colorado. What madeyou choose St. Lawrence University?

They have a Division I hockey program.When I went there, I was planning on walk-ing on to the hockey team … I went therefor preseason for soccer, and about a monthinto it, I would have had to start practicingfor hockey as well. (She opted not to do that.)

After college you played semi-prosoccer with the Massachusetts

Stingers. Was there a big difference be-tween playing college and pro soccer?

Oh, yeah. It was a huge step for me. Thespeed of play was incredibly fast comparedto what I was used to, and I had an ad-justment period, for sure, in that first sea-son. … Because this is a summer league, alot of people are there to just train for theircollege teams so they aren’t really there. It’snot their No. 1 season, it’s their backup. …For some of us, it is our No. 1 season; it’s allwe have to look forward to.

Why did you choose to leave themand come to Rochester and play for

the women’s team?The experience I have had with the Rhinos

was far greater than the experience I hadwith the Stingers. … The Stingers aren’tassociated with a men’s team, so we wereplaying on high school fields that were reallyhorrible and in poor condition. When wetraveled … we would have to drive our owncars. … It’s much different with the Rhinos.

At what level do women soccerplayers get paid?

At the professional level women are paid,but since 2003 there has not been a profes-sional women’s league in our country, sothis is really the highest level of women’ssoccer — besides the national team.

If the league is reinstated (there hasbeen talk that it will happen in

2008), will you try out for a team?I would love to. … Honestly, I think at

most I could probably be a practice player,but … that’s what I keep playing for — theidea that (I) could try out to play on a pro-fessional team. ◆

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LIZ MASTERSON (IN LESS THAN A MINUTE)

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