If you asked me when I was younger if my mom liked sports, I would say no. Actually, maybe something more like, “Are you kidding? Absolutely not.” — I was sassy.

She wasn’t a die-hard Yankees fan, or a Sunday-is-for-football kind of mom. If the New York Giants game was on, she would prefer watching the home improvement network or a movie. If I asked her to sit on the bleachers of Yankee Stadium in the dead heat of summer, she would probably roll her eyes in response. If she watched the Super Bowl, it was mostly for the commercials. Don’t get me wrong, she is athletic and has the half-marathon medals to prove it, but she never considered herself a sports fan.

That is, not until I became one.

When I got a bit older, I fell in love with the game of soccer. I played for my club team and watched as many professional games as I could, idolizing Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm along the way. As I developed an interest in soccer as both a player and a fan, my passion for other professional sports began to grow alongside it. I loved Victor Cruz, Eli Manning and Derek Jeter.

And then, suddenly, so did my mom. 

She read up on the U.S. Women’s National Team, spent her Sundays watching Giants games and bought me FC Barcelona jerseys. Once, when I was 11, she skipped work to wait in line with me to meet Jozy Altidore — someone whose name she had never heard two years earlier — and get my soccer ball signed. She even invited Wambach to dinner when she ran into her on the street. My mom did everything she could to support my passion, and that included becoming a sports fan for me.

But that’s just who she is. She did the same thing with my brother Keely and his love of music. She was determined to connect with her kids on what mattered most to them. She took me to countless New York Red Bulls and U.S. Women’s National Team games. When we sat in the stands, she cheered just as enthusiastically as me and always made sure to stop by the box office on the way out to get physical tickets to keep as a memento. 

She cheered even louder from the sidelines. I could hear her shouts above all the other parents’ as I dashed up the field during my games. She would sit through countless road trips, sacrifice her weekends for my tournaments and stay up for late-night soccer practices. And she did so without grievance. Never a complaint, never a sigh or a doubt. It was always, “You made a commitment, Remi.” She would never let me quit — and I’m so thankful for that because without her, I probably would have.

Despite my run-of-the-mill skills and outrageous attitude on the soccer field, my mom never missed a single game. Even when I would grumble and moan as I slouched my way to the car at 7 a.m., she came. Even after undergoing back surgery on a Friday, she shuffled her way onto the field and into her fold-up chair to cheer me on the following Sunday morning. That’s exactly the kind of woman she is and exactly the kind of woman she raised me to be. 

To be resilient.

***

When I got into the University of Michigan, I was so excited to go to a big sports school — something my high school had lacked. And just as she learned to love soccer all those years ago, my mom became a Wolverines fan overnight. 

She is the first to holler “Go Blue” on the streets when she sees a block ‘M,’ and every autumn Saturday, you’ll find her in her Michigan t-shirt and baseball cap cheering on the football team. Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum are frequent topics of conversation. Every Sunday phone call included a rundown of Michigan’s best and worst moments from the day prior.

When she visits me in Ann Arbor, the Michigan fan she has grown into gets to shine. Her first stop every trip is The M Den for fresh gear. Then, she sits through a football game — the first half at least — whether it’s 20 degrees and snowing or 90 degrees and humid, and ends the day texting friends and family, raving about her gameday.

Every Saturday in the fall you’ll find her decked out in maize, a color she wouldn’t be caught dead in four years ago. On Sundays, you’ll find her watching the Giants with her legs up and maybe some sprinklings of basketball and baseball during the week. Her love of sports started because of me, but now she is a fan all on her own.

But the passion with which I love sports, and everything else in life, is all hers. She shared her immense aptitude to care and love with me, and I traded her the fandom of sports. Our relationship was strengthened by that shared passion. 

***

I stopped being surprised a while ago when my mom would rattle off a random sports statistic or tell me she’s watching the Giants game or the U.S. Open. That’s how my mom shows me she loves me, by loving what I love.

Maybe I didn’t understand that when I was younger — maybe most kids don’t understand how their parents choose to love them. Just because it isn’t what we expected doesn’t mean it’s not what we needed. I don’t think I would be as caring if it wasn’t for her, and I might not have become as big of a sports fan if her passion hadn’t shown me it was okay. 

I always wear this one particular New York Giants hat. It’s gray turning green and I’m not even sure what color it originally was, but it’s a source of constant comfort resting on my head. And that’s because it was my mom’s. She gave it to me just like she gave me my determination, my work ethic and my perseverance.

My mom always tells me one thing anytime she sees my confidence begin to wane.

“Beautiful girl, you can do hard things.” And I can because she taught me how.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Thank you for being my biggest fan.

Love, Remster

Statement Contributor Remi Williamson can be reached at remiw@umich.edu

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The Big Ten Tournament began its first round of play on Sunday night while the Michigan women’s soccer team (7-8-3 Overall, 2-6-2 Big Ten) watched from home on the couch, having finished 11^th in the Big Ten. A season that started full of promise ended in shambles as a domino effect of woes sent the Wolverines’ postseason hopes crashing down.

Let’s breakdown the highs and lows:

Highs

Kacey Lawrence

Junior midfielder Kacey Lawrence proved her place in the starting lineup with her unrelenting energy. In her previous two seasons, Lawrence totaled a combined 787 minutes. This season she notched 1046 minutes, averaging 65.38 minutes per game.

“Ah man, that girl was on fire,” Michigan coach Jen Klein said on Sept. 22 after a draw against Ohio State. “She is such a spark of energy, her ability to go and have one gear. A spark plug that just fires and goes. She brought some unbelievable energy and brought some really good chances for us.”

She was a breath of fresh air constantly rushing up and down the field, but never letting exhaustion slow her down. Although the stat sheet doesn’t show Lawrence as a difference maker, netting just four goals and four assists, her playmaking was invaluable.

The Wolverines had issues finding the back of the net and were shutout or held to one goal in 12 of their 17 matches. But, that wasn’t for a lack of trying by Lawrence, who slotted 25 shots with 14 on goal over the year.

Lawrence’s admirable efforts on the season very well could earn her a captain’s armband for her upcoming senior season.

Defense

When senior defender Jayde Riviere announced her collegiate career-ending injury, the Michigan backline looked to be in peril after losing its linchpin.

But the Wolverines’ defense reorganized the platoon and built an outstanding line without their captain, Riviere.

In 14 games Michigan held its opponents to two points or less, and in 10 of those the Wolverines held them to one point or none. And of the three games in which they allowed three goals, two were against top-25 opponents.

That iron clad defense was full of promising underclassman with years of growth ahead of them. Sophomore Tamia Tolbert and freshman Aniyah League proved they can bring stability in the future.

And while the highs were encouraging for Michigan, but they were not enough to offset the difficulties of the season.

Lows

Goal Production

The Wolverines lit up non-competitive opponents, but that prowess failed to carry over against respectable competitors. Michigan was often stymied, getting shutout in eight games — almost half the season.

Lawrence and seniors Lily Farkas, Sami Woods and Dani Wolfe tried their best to produce chances on net for their team with a constant barrage of shots. The quartet racked up 25, 51, 43 and 21, respectively. What the stat sheet doesn’t show is their relentless lobs, crosses, volleys, and passes through the final third that the Wolverines failed to capitalize on.

“We need to be more consistent in our discipline in (the) details,” Klein said on Sept. 1 after a loss to Iowa State. “I think we have very, very good shiny moments and then we have some moments that we’re just not dialed in.”

And those shiny moments soon shone.

Michigan blew out Boston University, slaughtered Central Michigan and mascaraed Toledo. But those programs weren’t the most elite competitors, as Toledo and Central Michigan combined for an abysmal 4-21-11 record.

The highlight of the season was when the Wolverines upset No. 14 Rutgers, 3-2. However, the rest of their Big Ten conference matchups painted an ugly picture, with Michigan getting shutout seven times and finishing with only two conference wins.

One thing is clear: You can’t win if you don’t score. And Michigan did neither.

Compatibility

Individually, the team was chock full of great players who provided great performances, but it’s a team sport. Graduate Izzy Nino saw significant time between the goal posts for the first time in her Wolverine career. But, the defense and its new leader had trouble meshing. After playing under Hillary Beall for five years there was bound to be an adjustment period.

“As a team we are still forming and figuring out roles and responsibilities,” Klein said Sept. 1. “There’s a little bit of some confusion in there, but we just have to find ways to make it work.”

The 17-game season wasn’t enough for all the puzzles pieces to slide into place.

Michigan’s kryptonite proved to be miscues on both sides of the ball.

Crosses from Farkas were frequently missed by three or four players in the box. On the other side, Nino would often dive for a ball just as League would smash it out of the defensive third. The Wolverines couldn’t grow to function as a cohesive unit.

***

Follwing Michigan’s worst full season since 2017 — before Klein’s coaching tenure— it’s taken a clear step back. The 2022 season was the first full season in her time at the helm where the Wolverines failed to make the Big Ten Tournament.

The few bright spots from the Wolverines’ less than ideal performance show promise for next season. But, the lows tell a different story. Michigan’s original ranking, No. 9, showed its potential, yet after this year’s performance it’ll go into the 2023 season — most likely — unranked with a lot of question marks.

With a disappointing season in the books, the Wolverines will have to prove themselves next year. They’ll have to prove that this season was a fluke, a misfortune not by design.

For now, it’s back to the drawing boards.

The post The Michigan women’s soccer team’s season in review appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

As conference play ramps up, the Michigan women’s soccer team is in an uneasy position.

The Wolverines have struggled with a roster full of young and inexperienced players after losing six starters from last year’s team, and have gone 5-4-2 to begin the season. The team has lofty hopes of back to-back Big Ten Championships, but it’s going to take a total makeover to get there.

They haven’t admitted it yet, with half their schedule behind them, but this is a rebuild year.

However, they still have the chance to make it a successful one.

Throughout preseason, then No. 9 Michigan was confident in its ability to rework the starting XI around its underclassmen, which was no easy task.

“The expectations are still the same for this season,” senior forward Jayde Riviere said in April. “Nothing has changed in terms of our aspirations and goals.”

Those expectations can’t be the same without Riviere. The team is now missing another strong leader and captain who anchored the defense.

On Sept. 7, Riviere announced she had played her last game as a Wolverine after suffering a lower-body injury that will sideline her for the rest of the season. Riviere, an Olympic gold medalist, was unquestionably their best player.

But she won’t let her injury sideline her leadership role as a captain, too. She has tried to inject confidence into the players from the bench.

So far, however, that confidence hasn’t translated into tangible consistent results. Although confidence can help each individual athlete play at its best, it’s not enough to make them the powerhouse competitor they could have been.

But it’s not in Michigan coach Jennifer Klein’s nature to go down without a fight.

With less than half the season to go, matchups including three top-10 matchups looming and the injuries piling up, it’s going to be an uphill climb.

That’s not to say that Michigan doesn’t have the talent to reemerge as a contender.

Junior forward Kacey Lawrence and senior forward Lily Farkas have dominated in shots and points. Hustling up and down the pitch, they have generated opportunities wherever they can.

Sophomore midfielder Avery Kalitta has honed her craft on the backline, consistently protecting the net. Graduate goalkeeper Izzy Nino has hit her stride in goal, finally getting comfortable in her first season as a starter.

Against cakewalk opponents — a specialty of a relatively soft nonconference schedule — the Wolverines showed their immense promise.

Michigan beat then-No. 20 Washington State, slaughtered Central Michigan and mopped the floor with Toledo.

But now that the Big Ten competition has come pouring in, the Wolverines’ initial prowess has shrunk.

Individually, the team may be full of stars. But soccer is the ultimate team sport and without 11 athletes playing as one cohesive unit, wins are going to be few and far between.

Against Maryland, Ohio State and Nebraska, Michigan did not score. It kept the games close by only allowing one goal in each, but scoring production has been a clear impetus to its success.

That’s not for a lack of trying, though.

The Wolverines put up 18 shots in their tie to the Buckeyes with six on target, put up 11 shots with five on target in their loss to the Cornhuskers and 10 with four on target in their loss to Maryland.

“It kinda doesn’t matter what you do if the (opposing) goalkeeper is having a really good night,” Klein said after Ohio State. “It’s a bit unfortunate”

On the other side of the ball, the defense — for the most part — has been dialed in. In their combined six losses and ties the defense has not allowed more than one goal, keeping a potential comeback within reach.

It takes time for a young team to mesh. It takes time for a new team to learn each other’s playing styles. It takes time to create a championship-level team.

Eleven games should be enough for Michigan to hit its stride and work in perfect unison. A rebuilding year and success don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The Wolverines don’t have to be bottom dwellers of the Big Ten and they shouldn’t be, considering the program’s recent success.

And they’ll have a big opportunity to prove it, going up against three top-10 programs in its next three games.

For now, Michigan is an underdog.

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The Michigan women’s soccer team’s season has been defined by trouble in the box — its match against Ohio State was no different.

Despite a strong defensive performance, the Wolverines (5-3-2 overall, 0-2-1 Big Ten) couldn’t pot the ball against the Buckeyes (6-2-2, 1-1-1) in a scoreless draw.

Michigan’s defense held up well against a formidable Ohio State offense, protecting the net from its rival. Even the Wolverines’ attackers made a consistent effort to get back on defense and protect the goal.

“We wanted to make sure that we were good defensively,” Michigan coach Jen Klein said. “We knew that they were gonna have some very good attacking personalities, so we wanted to make sure that we were good collectively in our defensive press.”

Fifth-year goalkeeper Izzy Nino showed increased comfort in her new starting role notching five saves — including an impressive leaping grab after a ball came whipping at the upper 90.

On the other half of the field, sophomore forward Kacey Lawrence and senior forward Lily Farkas sent in cross after cross and shot after shot to try and put Michigan on the board.

Early in the first half, Michigan crowded into the box searching for an early lead. Junior forward Sammi Woods crossed it in from the right side of the field, and Lawrence tried to chip it in with a cheeky little chop move that went wide. The crowd sighed and moaned in frustration — a feeling that became all too familiar.

“You kinda scratch your head a little bit,” Klein said. “We’re in really good spots and we’re showing some good balance and technical ability.”

But the sighs continued to echo all night.

In the 32nd minute, Farkas fed the ball into Lawrence leaving her in a one-on-one with Ohio State goalkeeper Katherine Robinson. Robinson slid into Lawrence’s feet to snatch the ball up.

The first half continued with the same energy of discontent, frustration and anger on the field.

Lawrence was fouled and knocked to the ground multiple times, but she remained resilient on the field and continued to push up and down.

“Ah man, that girl was on fire; the one thing she was missing was a goal, Klein said. “She is such a spark of energy, her ability to go and have one gear. A spark plug that just fires and goes. She brought some unbelievable energy and brought some really good chances for us.”

The second half started with the same energetic push up the field. Wolfe sent a shot soaring high above the net, and it was followed up with a curving corner that missed outside.

The crowd once again held their breath midway through the second half as Farkas faked out her defender to launch a would-be-game winner that slammed off the crossbar.

Even with the Wolverine’s brilliant efforts on both sides of the ball, they couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities to win, a continuing theme of their lackluster season.

Michigan is teetering on dropping to .500 with half the season to go — sinking to the bottom of the Big Ten rankings.

And if the Wolverines want to be competitive in the Big Ten with the likes of No. 4 Rutgers and No. 17 Penn State, they’ll need to shoot better against respectable competition. They can’t just rely on their admirable defense.

As the saying goes, defense wins championships — but only if the offense can put up points too.

The post Michigan can’t find the net in draw against Ohio State appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

On Thursday night, senior forward Lily Farkas was everywhere on the field.

Colorado set up for a corner kick and she was all the way back marking a player on the end line. As the ball was cleared out of the box, she sprinted up the pitch, laying off a cross to senior forward Dani Wolfe. Throughout the game, her motor was relentless, showing no signs of slowing down or burning out.

The kind of infectious energy Farkas provides can change the tides of the Michigan women’s soccer team’s season. Moving forward, Farkas could be the glue that propels the Wolverines young lineup to success.

During Michigan’s match against Colorado, Farkas played a selfless game — a team game.

Her play pushed the Wolverines to a draw against a higher-ranked opponent. Farkas wasn’t concerned about having the flashiest goals, passes or stats.

Instead, she was back on defense covering for corner kicks, only to flash all the way up the field the next play to assist her teammates. She was a utility player for the Wolverines filling in any holes that the youth and inexperience of their team had burred.

Time and time again, Farkas laid the ball off to give another forward or midfielder a shot at goal when she knew they had the better opportunity. She played like a leader.

Even while focused on team success, she still showed her strong foot with a goal in the 27^th minute and three other shots on target during the game.

“Lily is a huge threat offensively,” Wolfe said. “She clearly scores many goals, she’s strong in tackles … she’s just the perfect attacking mid. She finishes the chances that she gets, and she picks people up along the way. She leads by not only what she says but what she does on the field.”

It is rare to see an attacking midfielder get all the way back on corner kicks and penalties to support their teammates, while still being a huge offensive threat.

Farkas hustled up and down the field until out of breath and then did it all over again.

“Her defensive presence out there tonight was great,” Michigan coach Jen Klein said. “Her just tracking back, that defensive work is needed when you’re playing any game but in particular, a team like this that really has some good attacking personalities.”

Farkas’ mentality was infectious. When her teammates saw her sprinting from each end of the field tirelessly, they were inspired.

“I think that type of energy, that type of style, and just response to stuff is contagious,” Klein said. “And when you see that in one of your teammates that hustles back and does that, it gives you excitement.”

Farkas played to the final whistle, fighting to find opportunities for her teammates.

“I think she’s a huge, huge player for us. She does everything in her power to leave it all out there every single game,” Wolfe said. “And she’s definitely — at least for me — a role model on the field. I think she’ll be a key player for us all season.”

In the wake of senior defender Jayde Riviere’s absence due to injury, Farkas has stepped up to become a de facto captain. A captain that is leading by example and playing her heart out.

After a less than ideal start to the season, Michigan has been slowly piecing together its strategy and lineup.

With her energetic performance against Colorado, it seems that Farkas could be the solution to the Wolverine’s woes.

The post Lily Farkas shows infectious energy in draw to Colorado appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Despite striking first, the No. 24 Michigan women’s soccer team’s second loss came in the same manner as its first when the Wolverines failed to take advantage of opportunities in the box.

After taking an early lead in the fifth minute, Michigan’s (3-2 overall) lack of finishing and communication caused an offensive collapse against unranked Iowa State (1-2-1), 3-2.

With the mass exodus of graduating players, the Wolverines have been left to reconfigure the roster.

“One of the best things about our team is that we look to develop everybody to be a leader,” Michigan coach Jen Klein said. “Everyone has a voice, and everyone has the ability to impact and influence what we’re doing.”

But the starting lineup was mutilated further with two of their remaining leaders out with injury, senior defender Jayde Riviere and senior midfielder Hannah Blake.

The resulting starting XI for Michigan was far from a well-oiled machine. Adapting to a new formation, a lack of communication and poor finishing prevented the Wolverines from running smoothly.

In spite of later struggles, junior forward Kacey Lawrence started the game strong for Michigan. She scored an early goal in the fifth minute, in a ruckus at the top of the box after a cross from senior forward Lily Farkas.

But quickly, the Wolverines were caught on their heels. Cyclones midfielder Emma Mira countered just three minutes later, slicing through the defense to tie the game. Fifth-year goalkeeper Izzy Nino — who hasn’t seen significant game action since 2018 — struggled to fill the void left by departed goalie Hillary Beal.

Iowa State kept the pressure on to score again in the 12th minute and amass a quick 2-1 lead.

Both teams were productive earlier on, but those three goals encompassed all the action in the half despite the best efforts of Farkas and freshman forward Kali Burrell.

Burrell and Farkas sent ball after ball into the box, but no one was there to receive it. Crosses repeatedly resulted in shots just inches wide of the post as they continued to sprint up the lines. Burrell broke away towards the end of the half with a crossover around the Cyclones defenders, but once again the Wolverines’ offense failed to capitalize in the final third.

Burrell kept trying to bring life to Michigan’s forwards, but the finishing woes continued.

“She is one of those freshmen that’s really stepping up this year,” Lawrence said. “She has a lot of confidence, and she motivates other players.”

The Wolverines caught a break in the 65th minute when senior forward Dani Wolfe was fouled outside their opponents’ box. Freshman midfielder Jenna Lang lined up for the free kick and curved it into the top left bucket to equalize the game at two.

Hope returned to the stands at the thought of a Michigan rally. It wouldn’t last long though.

A miscommunication in Nino’s box allowed the deciding goal to score in the 81st minute. The goal sent Nino into a fit of rage while she tried to get her defenders on the same page.

Michigan chased an equalizer with nine minutes to go. Its three shots in the final minutes proved to be unfruitful as the clock wound down.

“A loss stings, especially at home seeing the other team celebrate,” Lawrence said. “That’s really a lesson we need to take.”

The Wolverines had plenty of chances to score throughout the game, but they lacked consistent attack.

“We need to be more consistent in our discipline in (the) details,” Klein said. “I think we have very, very good shiny moments and then we have some moments that we’re just not dialed in.”

Michigan has suffered a quick fall from grace after its initial No. 9 ranking. The Wolverines need to start clicking offensively to bury the ball in the back of the net or the losses will keep stinging.

The post Michigan lacks consistency in loss to Iowa State appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Athletes strive to be the best. They want the most touchdowns, the highest batting average and the most goals. 

But beyond what appears in the stat sheets, they also want to reach — and succeed — at the highest level of their sports. They want to win the Super Bowl on a hail mary in the fourth quarter, they want to clinch a World Series championship and they want to win at the World Cup in penalty kicks. Each athlete defines success differently, and for some athletes, earning a championship supersedes personal accolades.  

And on the Michigan women’s soccer team, senior defender Jayde Riviere found success through winning. Her championship moment came with Team Canada at the 2020 Olympics where she earned a gold medal by defeating  Sweden in a match that was decided by penalty kicks. 

For a player to represent their country on the biggest stage is an immense honor in itself, but Riviere took it a step further by succeeding under the pressure and bringing home gold. 

“I think it was the scariest moment of my career, considering that it went to penalties.” Riviere said. “It is a different kind of fear when you have to line up knowing you might potentially have to take a penalty kick.”

But the work to reach that moment started long ago, and that championship drive traces through her career at Michigan.

***

Riviere’s aspirations of being a soccer star began  well before her college days. 

She started playing at three years old with her father, Tony Riviere, who was a soccer player for a local club team. He made sure to get her on the turf as soon as she could and he wasted no time showing  her the great joys of the sport.

“He would take me out to the field every other day to run drills, ” Jayde said. “I had a more emotional connection to the sport because of my dad.”

And that passion  blossomed into Riviere’s love of the sport. She started her national duties when she was 15 with the U15 Provincial Team, an experience that  left her with a room full of medals and trophies to commemorate her contribution to her country even before graduating high school.

And the  connection to her home country played a huge role in  her decision to play with the Wolverines. 

“It is only a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Pickering,” Riviere said. “It was important to me that my parents could come watch games.”

It was important that her parents — the people who supported her from the first time she kicked a ball at three years old —   could travel and watch her develop her game at the collegiate level. And as the national team called on her, the game quickly transformed into something drastically different.

As one of the youngest members on the national team, Riviere was moldable, and Canada coach Bev Priestman shaped her into the player Canada needed most for the Olympic Games. Riviere willingly shifted positions from her natural midfield to fullback in order to fill those needs. She even changed positions at Michigan in order to better prepare for national team duties when she was called up..

“The national team was in need of a fullback,” Riviere said. “The more I can get practice as a fullback at Michigan, the easier it will be to transition for international play.”

 But to win a championship, she needed to do more than just change positions. She had to adapt to playing with teammates and against opponents that were faster and more skilled than those she knew in Pickering and at Michigan.

“(The) speed of play and the experience that comes with that are really different,” Riviere said. “I think the biggest difference for me is going from a leadership role at Michigan to being a newbie and trying to find myself on an international platform.”

That experience, and her time with the Wolverines, showed her how to be a better athlete.

“Adaptability is a huge thing when it comes to being an athlete. Our bodies get put through a lot, especially at the Olympics,” Riviere said. “I think learning to adapt to other teams and how they play is crucial.”

And as her pursuit of a championship forced her to accept change, Riviere embodied that mentality. In the end, the Olympic gold medal that hung around her neck and the pride of success showed that her sacrifice was worth it.. Entering her junior year at Michigan, she had already proven that her championship mentality could put hardware in the trophy case.

***

Coming off that success, Riviere joined a Michigan program competing for its own championship. And in that quest, she played a crucial role.  

Riviere was a key pillar to the Wolverines’ backline, seeing over 1,620 minutes of match time in the 2021-22 season and only ever missing games for national team duties. In that role, she led Michigan to a Big Ten Championship and an NCAA Quarterfinals appearance.

The  experience of that Michigan team facilitated its success. The foundation of the Wolverines’ game was built on the leadership and skills of their upperclassmen, who filled every slot in the starting lineup.

And following  that successful campaign, most of those upperclassmen graduated and  will  move on to the next stages of their lives and soccer careers. 

The shift leaves Riviere caught at a crossroads. 

While she’s one of the youngest players on Team Canada, she is one of the oldest on the Michigan women’s soccer team, a program facing the departure of 10 graduating players. 

“We could see in our spring games that we are missing a large portion of our team,” Riviere said. “We have a very fresh and raw team.”

But the loss of talent doesn’t bother her. Riviere isn’t afraid to use her experience to exert her leadership, and she strives to pass on the lessons she learned through the path to her gold medal.

And Riviere believes that the Wolverines will fill the gaping hole left behind with their highly touted class of freshmen and transfer players.

“The expectations are still the same for this season,” Riviere said. “We want to win our conference and we want to go to the NCAA tournament. Nothing has changed in terms of our aspirations and goals.”

But for the gold medalist, the expectations are extremely high. It’s her time to step up and utilize her international experience to guide Michigan’s new talent. Riviere has the opportunity to be what coach Priestman was to her, and to mold incoming players to fit the gaps in its lineup just like her Team Canada coach once did.

“Regardless of my role on the team, I try to be a leader,” Riviere said. “We lost a lot of big voices from our graduating fifth-years and seniors. It is really important that a lot of people step up.”

Riviere has been playing soccer for the majority of her life. She found a love for the sport and a connection to her father through it. Her aspirations of  a career in the sport are backed by her undeniable adaptability, leadership and stability skills on and off the field.

With the desire to turn her love for soccer into a lifelong career by going into a professional European league following her time at Michigan, the experiences and accolades she has acquired will play an integral part in that. And through  participation on Team Canada, she got to travel around the world, seeing the culture of soccer in countries like Uruguay and Australia, gaining a well-rounded appreciation of the sport.

Now more than ever, the Wolverines need Riviere’s stability and experience to bolster not only their backline, but to prepare their raw talent for success at the NCAA level. Riviere can be the Swiss Army knife — full of versatility and a myriad of uses — that the Wolverines need after losing the majority of their starting lineup.

And after being honed with an Olympic gold medal and a Big Ten Championship, Riviere seems ready for that role.

The post From gold medals to Big Ten Championships: Jayde Riviere’s journey appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex and gender remains illegal by law. However, the United States has made little effort to prevent de facto discrimination in sports from institutions receiving federal funding when it comes to fan attendance and viewership.

And those issues exist throughout each and every level of women’s sports.

When I was in high school I played on the women’s soccer team. Our team was great. In the three seasons I spent on the team,  we reached at least the semifinals of the city playoffs. In my final year we made it all the way to the finals. 

But every year we lacked one thing: fans.

No one wanted to come see us blowout our opponents 10-0 or beat our rivals in an overtime thriller. No amount of posters, emails, social media posts, or cookie bribes could convince the student body to watch the girls soccer team dominate the competition. Winning games without anyone in the stands except a few enthusiastic parents was disheartening.

When I was little, it didn’t matter — I loved soccer and that was all that mattered to me, it was my favorite hobby. My parents were my cheerleaders and I wasn’t old enough to know what I was missing. 

And that’s not uncommon for other girls growing up. Most young female athletes don’t know what it feels like to have masses of screaming fans propel them to victory, and even at the professional level, the majority of female athletes don’t know that feeling.

In lacking that support, female athletes are missing out on a key pillar of sports: the connection with fans.

Part of the joy professional athletes feel in their sports is the exhilaration of the crowd. Hearing fans cheer them on motivates them to play harder and better. It’s a luxury that’s not afforded to female athletes.

Often at Michigan,  fans must be bribed with free t-shirts and hats for the first 100 attendees on top of the already free entry tickets. At the No. 23 women’s tennis teams regular season finale, you were hard pressed to find any fans aside from parents.

Even the Wolverines’ women’s basketball team — who made the Elite Eight for the first time in program history – offered all students free attendance to fill the stands and enact real home court advantage in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

If colleges fail to improve viewership for women’s sports – especially at Universities with  student bodies riddled with school spirit –  it’s no surprise that professional sports face a similar lack of support.

Female athletes are paid significantly less — which is often attributed to a lack of viewership and fanbase — than their male counterparts. Christian Pulisic, USMNT and Chelsea FC player, makes more in a single month than the highest paid United States Women’s National Team player, Alex Morgan, makes in a year. 

Out of the top-50 highest paid athletes only two women, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, make the list. But less than 3% of their earnings are attributed to on-the-field pay, the rest of the figure comes from endorsements and brand deals.

In recent years the popularity of women’s sports has increased but the pay hasn’t followed suit. The USWNT became well known in the last few years with players like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan becoming household games. Their games sell out and their jersey sales are through the roof, all while showing young girls — who, similarly to me, grow up with a love for sports but a lack of support — that sports are for girls too. They have found their place as a powerhouse winning World Cups and Olympic medals left right and center, while their male counterparts struggled to find similar success. 

Yet, it wasn’t until last month that the USWNT received equal pay to the US Men’s National Team on a per-game fee and bonus structure rather than salary. Given that the USWNT is the most successful international women’s soccer team in history and continues to dominate the field, they should be paid more than the male athletes that lack the same impressive resume. Although the USMNT has never won the World Cup or any Olympic medal, and failed to even qualify in 2018. But their pay never faltered and their performance bonuses were still larger than the women’s. In the old contract structure, the USMNT received $2.5 million for World Cup qualification while the USWNT got $750,000.

As a little girl, I looked up to the USWNT and I wanted to be like them. They showed me that women’s soccer could be just as entertaining and competitive as the men, if not more. As they won medal after medal — all while taking women’s sports to another level — it gave me motivation to play soccer with the same intensity and drive.

And the USWNT’s disproportionate salary isn’t rare. Most other sports are having trouble filling the gap and gaining more support and fandom for their female athletes.

The flashy lifestyle major male athletes achieve with luxury cars, mansions and private jets is rarely attainable for women. And while Title IX ensures that women can play sports, there’s still a long way to go beyond the ability to participate.

We play sports because we love them. We play because of the way every ace and goal makes us feel. We play because of the way every win reverberates through us — not because of the potential fame and riches.

But it wouldn’t hurt to hear the fans cheer for us, to celebrate our victories and mourn our losses. And the USWNT offers an example of how to get there.

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After a fault by Isabelle Boulais, sophomore Jaedan Brown clinched her singles match. As the result sank in for both teams, the No. 20 Michigan women’s tennis team stormed the court in celebration.

Not only had Brown sealed an impressive shutout against the Buckeyes, avenging a loss earlier in the season — she also clinched the Big Ten Championship. 

Michigan (19-5 overall, 10-1 Big Ten) defeated Maryland (18-7, 6-5), 4-1, and Northwestern (14-9, 8-3), 4-3, en route to the finals, before beating Ohio State (20-5, 11-0), 4-0. The Wolverines beat the Terps handily, but their match against the Wildcats came down to the wire.

Getting there wasn’t a cakewalk.

Against Northwestern, sophomores No. 19 Kari Miller and Gala Mesochoritou both lost their matches late in the third set to knot the score at 3-3. All eyes turned to freshman Julia Fliegner and Northwestern’s Christina Hand. With the pressure on, Fliegner dominated the last set, 6-2, sending her team to the Big Ten tournament finals.

“I have been in that position a few times now and am much more comfortable being the deciding match,” Fliegner said. “It made me lock in and I knew there was zero room for error since I wanted to pull through for my team.”

Fliegner’s teammates stood by to cheer her on and give her the support she needed to win.

“My team being on the sidelines honestly makes all the difference,” Fliegner said. “Being the last match made me really focus on my game plan, and having my teammates right there made me motivated to do it.

Michigan’s championship match was a team win, and every player in every spot stepped up big.

“I think what feels so good, obviously, is winning the Big Ten Tournament, but also the way we played,” Michigan coach Ronnie Bernstein said. “We’ve talked all year about putting together a complete match and the girls just played incredible today.”

The Wolverines started the match against the Buckeyes strong, taking an early 1-0 lead thanks to the doubles point. Michigan refused to allow a repeat of its last matchup against Ohio State, when it lost, 4-3, in heartbreaking fashion.

At the No. 1 doubles spot, Brown and Fliegner won their match, 6-3, and were the first ones off the court. However, the Buckeyes shot back and took the No. 3 match, 6-4. Junior Andrea Cerdan and Miller held the doubles hopes in their hands. They found themselves in an early 0-2 hole in the set, but the pair heated up and won five straight sets. Inevitably, they won the match, 6-4, to clinch the point.

Fliegner showed up once more for her team, producing a dominant straight sets win at the No. 5 spot, 6-3 and 6-0, putting up the second point for Michigan. Already, the Wolverines were nearing victory.

And they didn’t let the Buckeyes back in it. In the No. 1 singles matchup, Miller took down Ohio State’s No. 8 Irina Cantos by winning five straight points in the first set and then six straight in the next set. Miller walked away after putting the Wolverines up 3-0 and earning her second win of the season against Cantos.

At the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, it seemed that Cerdan and junior Nicole Hammond were going to get swept in straight sets, but both players fought hard to win their second sets and keep Michigan in the driver’s seat.

The final point came from Brown against Boulais, and Brown did what she always does: won in straight sets. The first set came easy, 6-3, but the second was a fight. It went to a tiebreaker and Boulais couldn’t contain her frustration on the court. After every lost point, she lowered her head. Brown, on the other hand, stood tall and kept her momentum going. She took the tiebreaker and immediately celebrated with her teammates.

The Wolverines finally did what Bernstein had been looking for all season: they dominated on every court.

“I can’t stress how well we played today,” Bernstein said. “Ohio State is a great team. We lost to them a month ago, we just pretty much couldn’t have played better on every court.”

Not only did Michigan avenge that earlier loss, but it did so on the biggest stage so far this season — the Big Ten Championship.

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