Note - This journal is being written by Jim Cella, the Concordia College Sports Information Director, who has the privilege to tag along with the Cobber women's soccer team and coaching staff as they make their way to the NCAA Regional Tournament in Eau Claire, Wis. The intent of this journal is to give readers an inside look as to what goes behind the scenes of an NCAA Division III athletic program. A different viewpoint than just the box scores and statistics as a group of athletes gets ready to compete on one of the most prestigious stages in all of college athletics - the NCAA Tournament.

The views written in this piece are entirely of the writer and not meant to harm or disrespect any of the athletes or school. It is merely an attempt to give the reader a greater understanding of what the coaches and athletes have to go through to get ready to perform at the highest level. I hope you enjoy the journal.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8

8:10 p.m.
The bus finally pulls out of campus. It has been a whirlwind 30 minutes as players arrive on the bus and the coaching staff tries to make final preparations for the trip into the NCAA playoffs. First-year assistant coach Betsy Olesen was sent to a convenience store to get "treats" for the bus ride. She calls assistant coach Matt Stucke in a panic, 10 minutes before the bus is to leave. The store won't accept her check and she has no way of paying for the groceries. Stucke goes out to head coach Dan Weiler to make sure that it is ok to go and help her out at the store. Weiler tells him to hurry up and Stucke heads to his car.

The players are arriving in groups as they have been through a busy day. They had class and then went to practice at 5 p.m. They practiced under the lights in Fargo to assure they would get one last full training session in before they left for Eau Claire. At this time of the year, the team is just trying to maintain their technical skills and prepare for the upcoming game. There is no new tactics introduced and the players are used to the monotony of the practice routine.

From practice most went to the dining service to enjoy the annual Thanksgiving dinner. Weiler was going to have pizzas delivered to the bus so they could get on the road earlier but the players persuaded him to let them enjoy one "the best meal" of the year. Stucke also went to the dinner and agreed that it was a great feast and that he probably ate too much. The Thanksgiving dinner is just a reminder that the long days of summer and the start of the season are a long way off and that the end of the road is directly ahead.

From dinner, the players had to hurry to their dorm rooms or houses, finish packing and head right over to the bus. The bus was scheduled to leave at 8 p.m. but by 7:50 p.m. most players have already taken their seats. Weiler is taking all 33 players on the trip. It is a reward for a tremendous season, but more importantly it reinforces the fact that this is truly a team. One thing is apparent right from first glance at the women's soccer team. They all get along and all work hard during practice no matter what their role. If they play the entire game or just sit on the bench for all 90 minutes, they all push each other and you get the sense that they wouldn't be successful if you took any of the 33 out of the lineup.

You can see the relief in the players as they take their seat. They have made it through the long day and can now relax on the bus and hang out with their teammates and friends. They also received their conference championship t-shirts before heading out on the trip and the pride in their faces is evident.

Weiler is a bundle of energy. Most of the time he is moving all around trying to take care of details for both the women's and men's programs. At the start of a road trip he is at an even more frenetic pace. He is trying to make sure all the equipment got put on the bus, taking roll call of all the players and keeping track of his assistant coaches. One of the biggest assets for Weiler is his cell phone and the other technology he uses to keep up with all that is going on. He is constantly checking his messages and e-mails.

Stucke and Olesen return from the store and final checks are made to get the team on the road. Weiler asks Olesen if she has any tape to hang signs inside the bus for the team. Olesen has to run back inside to get tape. She is the team's student assistant this season. She played for four seasons and was one of the members of the group of players that put Cobber women's soccer at the top of the MIAC. She has now joined the team as she finishes up her studies. She is the latest assistant in a nice line of former players. Olesen is in charge of all the administrative jobs to help the team on the road. She does a great job with the players, and more importantly, helps Weiler do all the things that need to get done so Weiler can concentrate on coaching.

Olesen returns with the tape and signs are distributed throughout the bus so they can be taped on the windows by each row. The signs have the team picture taken right after the MIAC playoff title win with the players gathered in front of the goal and posing with their trophies. The text message on the sign reads "This Year We Keep Playing." It is a mantra that Weiler is using to let the team know that they haven't reached their final destination. Last year they were happy to be included in the national tournament. This year he wants the team to make a run.

With signs in place, players counted out and everyone settled, the bus finally rolls out of town.

Who knows what the journey will hold. I am always curious about what championship teams felt before they headed out for their first game. Did they have the feeling that they were going to win it all? Were they just excited to be playing more games and somewhere down the line, they got the feeling they could claim the title? Who knows what they were feeling and who knows what this team is feeling. One thing is for sure, the team has the capability of making a long run. They have depth, an ability to score goals from different spots on the field, great senior leadership and outstanding young talent that doesn't know any better and just wants to keep winning.

8:35 p.m.
The first DVD is put into the bus' system. Surprisingly it is an action flick. Spiderman III has been chosen to start off the trip. Senior centermidfielder Darcy Swagger then adds "we should start with a little action and then put in some romance." This draws a laugh from Weiler and her teammates who are within ear shot. Weiler is always ready to have a laugh with the players and responds with, "it's nice to know that you have the night all planned out."

10:10 p.m.
The bus rolls into Sauk Centre and stops at a truck stop for a break. Weiler announces that the "treats" are on him and a cheer goes up from the back of the bus. The players file off slowly. Some have been watching the movie, some have been reading, still others have been sleeping and allowing their bodies to finally unwind. Swagger is the last one of the bus. Her hair is messed and she stretches to rub the sleep out of her eyes. It is apparent that she has spent the first two hours of the trip sleeping.

Inside the truck stop store. The players are browsing and laughing at the "treats" they should get. Weiler suggests a six-pound bag of beef jerky. Others make up their minds if they are going to make the play for something healthy or something more "treatish." The best example of not knowing which way to go comes from sophomore defender Mikenna Maroney who walks out of the store with a bottle of V8 and a two-pack of Twinkies!

After everyone has made their selections, Weiler pays the tab and starts to walk out. The cashier asks him what kind of team it is and where they are from. He tells the answer and where they are going. It is an answer that is repeated constantly throughout the season when the team hits the road. The players are a walking billboard for the school and are always on display when they venture out for away games.

The other surprise selection comes from freshman Susan Obermiller. Obermiller decides to get a hot dog from the machine that has a heat lamp and rollers with the hot dogs going around and around and look like they have been there for days. She gets the hot dog and tries to hide it from Weiler, knowing full well if he finds out, she will get a little good-natured ribbing. Sure enough, he finds out on the bus and laughs about the whole scene.

10:45 p.m.
Spiderman III has ended and Weiler is going about the selection process for the next movie. He has several in his hand and asks the players which one they like. The final two movies in the race are "Shrek III" and "Coach Carter". Somewhere from the back of the bus someone suggests "The Holiday". Weiler's dismay is apparent and he tries to tell the team that it has a big scratch and he needs to buff the DVD before it can play. The team doesn't buy it and he is forced to put the movie on - Swagger's itinerary for the night has come true.

12:33 a.m.
The bus finally pulls into the hotel parking lot. The final 45 minutes turned into a hectic stretch. Weiler called the hotel to find out which exit to take and was told that the hotel didn't have the team's reservation. Weiler becomes agitated and is able to call up on his phone the e-mail that he sent to confirm the contract. The hotel scrambles to right the wrong and luckily has enough rooms for the team. The crisis is averted and the bus driver lets Dan know that he was lucky it was a Thursday night and not a Friday night, otherwise they would have been searching for rooms.

Weiler gets out of the bus and then has to debate with the hotel clerk about the price of each room and how the bill will be paid. Once again Weiler's technology prowess pays off as he turns on his computer and pulls up the contract that the hotel had sent via e-mail. After a few tense moments, keys are handed out and Olesen heads to the bus to announce the room assignments. It is another one of her many thankless jobs. The players head off the bus, pick up their bags and head into their rooms.

Most of the players are tired and ready for bed. Weiler lets them know that breakfast will be at 9 a.m. and they will leave at 10 a.m. to finish off the drive for Eau Claire. He wants to be in Eau Claire around noon so they can have lunch and get ready for their 3:45 p.m. practice on the game field.

The long day is finally over. It has been the longest for Weiler. He was in Minneapolis for the conference coaches' meeting at 10 a.m., drove back to Moorhead for practice and hopped on the bus to come back to the Cities with the team. Despite the 16-plus hour day, Weiler is still fresh. He is ready for the next step and his energy is just one of the reason's the team has come this far.