Insider page; soccer player
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www.rochesterinsider.com JUNE 1, 2007 INSIDER Growing up in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Liz Masterson was an avid soccer player, skier, snowboarder and ice hockey player. Since moving to New York state in 2001 to attend St. Lawrence Univer- sity in Canton, St. Lawrence County, the 23-year-old has made quite a name for herself. While in school she was chosen for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America First Team. She also was named four times to the First Team All- Conference team. For about a year after col- lege, she played semi-pro soccer for the Massachusetts Stingers. And in 2006, she joined the Rochester Raging Rhinos women’s soccer team as co-captain. STORY BY PAM COWAN [email protected] PHOTOS BY MATT WITTMEYER [email protected] LIZ MASTERSON LIZ MASTERSON (IN LESS THAN A MINUTE) ROCHESTER RHINOS WOMEN’S TEAM AGE: 23 OCCUPATIONS: Assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Manhattanville College in Pur- chase, Westchester County; mid-fielder for the Rochester Rhinos women’s team RESIDENCE: Rochester during the Rhinos’ season and Westchester County the rest of the year EDUCATION: 2005 graduate of St. Lawrence University with a bachelor’s degree in govern- ment. She’s currently getting her master’s in sports business management at Manhattanville College. ON PLAYING IN ROCHESTER: “I think the Rhinos offer the women’s side a lot more,” though they don’t get paid. “I like that our coach, Peter (Amos), is really involving us in the community. 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 get paid, so we play because we love the game.” PREGAME RITUAL: “I do a crossword puzzle.” Before the 2007 season got under way, Masterson, a center midfielder, talked with insider about her career and her hopes to some 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) that really attracted me to soccer and kept me playing. I still have friends from when I was 10 years old who were on my soccer team. You’re from Colorado. What made you 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 there for preseason for soccer, and about a month into it, I would have had to start practicing f or hockey as well. (She opted not to do that.) After college you played semi-pro soccer 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. The speed of play was incredibly fast compared to 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, a lot of people are there to just train for their college teams so they aren’t really there. It’s not their No. 1 season, it’s their backup. … For some of us, it is our No. 1 season; it’s all we have to look forward to. Why did you choose to leave them and 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 had with the Stingers. … The Stingers aren’t associated with a men’s team, so we were playing on high school fields that were really horrible and in poor condition. When we traveled … we would have to drive our own cars. … It’s much different with the Rhinos. At what level do women soccer players 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, so this is really the highest level of women’s soccer — besides the national team. If the league is reinstated (there has been 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 — the idea that (I) could try out to play on a pro- fessional team. ◆ LIZ MASTERSON (IN LESS THAN A MINUTE) 10
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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 [email protected]
PHOTOS BY MATT [email protected]
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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