August 27, 2001
GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman women's soccer team returned home from a preseason tour of Europe late Sunday night.
The Lady Paladins were taking advantage of an NCAA rule allowing such a trip every four years. Furman visited, trained, and played matches in Belgium, England, and the Netherlands over the span of 11 days.
"Europe was incredible," said head coach Brian Lee upon his return to Greenville. "The competition was great over there and those matches will prepare us for some tough games on our schedule."
The Lady Paladins represented Furman and America well, posting a 6-1-1 record in preseason matches and winning the Star Cup, a tournament in Stein, Holland. Returning players Katie Carson, Danielle Petro, and Melissa Turner led the way for the Lady Paladins, while freshmen Alice Martin and Cristina Echavarry also made big contributions.
"An opportunity like this is definitely advantageous," added Lee. "Being able to compete in so many game situations during preseason allows us to get our players organized and on the same page. Normally, that is something that has to take place during the first few games of the regular season."
Furman's regular season begins this weekend in the Baylor Labor Day Classic in Waco, Texas. The Lady Paladins will play LaSalle on Friday and then tournament host Baylor on Sunday. Furman opens its home schedule with a match against SEC opponent Vanderbilt on September 6.