Spring Break
The Daily OrangeWSOC | Syracuse gladly takes in Hamm's Hall of Fame induction
By George Williams
Posted: 8/30/07, 11:55 PM EST Section: Sports
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As Hamm's former college coach, Anson Dorrance, presented her to the record-setting crowd, situated not too far away was a group of young women dressed in matching blue and orange attire.
"It was pretty awesome," senior Lauren Jentzen said. "I mean, I've been to a couple national team games, but I mean, you see them from the field. To be that close was pretty cool."
The Syracuse women's soccer team members got the rare chance to see their childhood heroes up close at last weekend's induction ceremony, at which Hamm and three others, including Julie Foudy, were enshrined into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
SU head coach Pat Farmer hopes the Hall of Famers' messages resonate in the minds of his players as they prepare for the upcoming season. The Orange plays its first game of the season tonight in Rochester (Mich.) and travels to Michigan State on Sunday.
Farmer worked out the idea to attend the ceremony when Hall of Fame spokesman Jack Huckle contacted him about the event. It was something Huckle had been asking Farmer about for quite some time, and Farmer said he was unbelievably pleased for his team to have the opportunity to represent Central New York soccer.
Along with participating in the induction ceremony, SU played an exhibition game against Army. Though the team lost 1-0, Farmer said he was thrilled with the atmosphere of the event.
"It wasn't just sort of a low-key scrimmage," Farmer said. "It wasn't. It was a lot of people, a pretty special venue, and a lot of different things going on. You don't often get that. You usually go into your first big game, especially on the road, not feeling anything like that in the preseason."
After last season's disappointing 4-12-3 finish, the women's soccer team will take any extra sort of motivation it can get.
For many of the players, it was their first time visiting the National Soccer Hall of Fame and truly a surreal experience.
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