Bound for Beijing: Husker Olympic Softball Blog #2

This is the second installment in a series of blogs from Team <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Canada Head Coach Lori Sippel and starting first baseman Sheena Lawrick about their preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Sippel, NU's associate head coach, is entering her 20th season as a member of the Husker coaching staff, while she was an athletic and academic All-American for the Huskers as pitcher from 1985 to 1988. Originally from Stratford, Ontario, Sippel pitched in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and will be coaching in her first Olympics this August. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Lawrick was a Husker from 2002 to 2005, where she helped lead NU to two Big 12 titles and one Women's College World Series appearance. She is competing in her second straight Olympic Games, as she overcame a torn ACL injury that cut her Husker season short to return in time for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Canada opens its Olympic schedule on Aug. 11 against Chinese Taipei.

Team Canada Update
After a third-place finish at the Tri-Nations Cup, Coach Sippel guided Team Canada to another third-place finish at the Canada Cup.

Following a successful pro tour through the National ProFaspitch league, Canada returned home and defeated Beijing-bound Venezuela, 1-0 in an exhibition game. Team Canada then welcomed world No. 2 Japan and No. 3 Australia for the Tri-Nations Cup. The Canadians opened with an 8-2 victory over Australia before closing round-robin play with a 7-2 loss to Japan. Canada and Australia met again for the right to face Japan in the final and the Aussies rebounded with a 5-1 win.

Up next was one of the premier international tournaments in the world, the Canada Cup in Surrey, British Columbia. Canada swept through pool play in impressive fashion, posting a perfect 6-0 record that included another 8-2 victory over Australia. The Aussies were the only team to plate a run against the Canadians during pool play, as Team Canada outscored its six opponents by a whopping 68-2, with both runs allowed being unearned.

 

Things got tougher in bracket play as Canada won its first two games to advance to the winner’s bracket final, where the 8-0 Canadians suffered their first loss of the tournament. Sheena Lawrick managed Team Canada’s lone two hits in a 6-0 loss to Japan and ace pitcher Yukiko Ueno. That set up a rematch with Australia for the right to face Japan in the winner-take-all final. Unfortunately for the Canadians, Australia once again rallied from an earlier loss to the Canadians and eliminated Team Canada with a 3-1 victory in the third-place game.

 

Lawrick continued her hot hitting back in her home country, as she batted .571 at the Canada Cup while slugging one homer and three doubles. The Calgary, Alberta, native also scored eight runs and drove in 11 more.

 

After the tournaments on home soil, Team Canada's overall pre-Olympic tour record stands at 43-14. Up next for Team Canada is a trip to Japan for the Tri Nation Tournament, followed by a pair of exhibition games before the Canadians open Olympic pool play on Aug. 11.

Sheena Lawrick Blog
Hello Everyone! So much has happened since I last wrote; we just finished up in Surrey, British Columbia at the Canada Cup.  It felt so great to play in front of my home crowd with my teammates! There were many teams at the tournament but five teams (including us) that are going to the Olympics. We played Venezuela, Chinese Taipei, Australia, and Japan!  When we played Australia the game set a new record for sold out crowds at the complex! There were so many people there cheering for us and supporting our dreams of standing on the podium! We signed autographs for over an hour and I could hear all of the compliments young athletes were giving me and my teammates- it made me very proud to be a Canadian and also representing the Huskers! The tournament went by so fast and it was sad to leave Canada but the Olympics are right around the corner! A few of us were counting how many games we had left until we arrived in Beijing and we only have FIVE!!! So as sad as we were to leave Canada we are now on our way to Japan and then on to China!

In Japan we are playing a few of the university teams, as well as Japan and the Netherlands. We are making this stop in Japan to get more games in before the Olympics actually start but also to get accustomed to the time change. We are actually a day and 2 hours ahead of all of you Husker fans! I would much rather get used to the time change now instead of having to do it at the Olympics! Besides the time change, our first night here we were in an earthquake! I woke up in the middle of the night and thought that my roommate, Erin Cumpstone, was shaking me awake. I didn’t understand what was going on at first then I realized our hotel was swaying side to side and all the furniture in the room was shaking...it lasted about two minutes. When it was all over we went out of our room to check on our teammates, no one was hurt but we were all tired and stunned!  Since we don’t have many earthquakes in Nebraska I didn’t know how to react except that I was glad when it was over!! I found out the next day that it was a 6.8 on the Richter scale that shook all of Northern Japan!! The Japanese softball players came to our hotel the next day to see if we were okay and then explained to us that we were in an earthquake; it was really nice of them and we enjoyed talking to them. 

 

I am so excited about the Olympics and beginning the tournament! I cannot believe that the last four years of training, hard work, and commitment are getting ready to come together at the Olympic Games in Beijing! We fly to China on August 4th to get ready for opening ceremonies and the commencement of all of the Olympic Games! I am going to take it one game at a time and live each moment. I have accomplished one of my goals of making it to the Olympics for Canada and now I look forward to my next goal of standing on the podium!

 

 

Lori Sippel Blog

I know I am partial but I really believe the Canada Cup is one of the best international tournaments held annually in the world.  There is a 16-and-under tournament, an 18-and-under tournament, a women's international division and a Friendship "Special Olympic" Division. You get all of this for the price of one.

 

Canada got off to a great start in the tournament but the highlight was meeting Australia in our final pool game. It was the biggest sellout in tournament history, as on Thursday night 5,000 people showed up for the event. We had to delay the game in order to make sure everyone got a seat...  Very Canadian of us I must say :) 

Canada won which capped off the preliminary round. 

 

The playoff round was a little more challenging which is just what we needed for our preparation.  We were able to move into the top-three round where we we faced Japan and flamethrower Yukiko Ueno. Losing this game, we were then in line to face Australia once again. Melanie Roche (Oklahoma State) got the nod which was very exciting for us as we had not seen Melanie for a few years. She is a feisty veteran who has the best movement pitches in the world. Canada failed to advance but our spirits in terms of preparation were high as we had just faced, back to back, the fastest throwing pitcher in the world followed by the best movement pitcher in the world.

 

Day off to get clothing, etc. sorted as the temperatures in Japan and Beijing will be anywhere from 34 - 40 degrees Celsius (93 - 104 degrees Fahrenheit). No need for sweats etc. Our flight to Norita Airport was 10 hours with a short little six-hour trek via bus to Sendai for the Tri-Nation Cup.  We finally arrived the hotel by 11:30 pm and just got into bed around 12:10 to be awoke by an EARTHQUAKE!  Let me tell ya, the eighth floor was rocking.  No damage or injuries but the news the next day stated it was a 6.8 and the epicenter was 200 kilometers away.  Welcome to Japan!