Lady Eagles in Ethiopia

The Charlotte Lady Eagles Ethiopia Tour soccer team kicked off their 2007 Ethiopia tour with a match against an Addis Ababa women's all-star team. The Lady Eagles triumphed in the match with a 3-2 victory.
The Lady Eagles got behind quickly when the Ethiopian team scored their first goal in less than five minutes off of a defensive miscue. The Lady Eagles did not let the early goal affect them and they were rewarded ten minutes later with a goal by Nicole Cauzillo from Kansas University. Nicole hit a shot from the top of the eighteen that beat the keeper on the inside of the left post.

Five minutes later Kelly Schmedes drove down the left wing to the six yard box where she played the ball cross the middle. The Ethiopian keeper deflected the ball out to Alison Becker who slotted her shot past the keeper into the goal to lead the score 2-1.

Approximately ten minutes before the end of the first half, the Ethiopian national team member, Berticam, curled a shot into the top left corner from around 22 yards out to tie the score. The half ended 2-2.

The Lady Eagles fought through fatigue brought on by the high altitude of Addis Ababa (8300 ft) during the second half. With about 15 minutes left to play, Kelly Schmedes took a ball switched from the left side to go one on one with the goalie. The ball got by the keeper but Nicole Cauzillo got her second goal and game winner by sliding in ahead of a defender to finish the shot. The Lady Eagles left the field exhausted but grateful for the opportunity to play this all-star Ethiopian team.

The Lady Eagles arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Wednesday night after leaving Charlotte last Tuesday. The Lady Eagles were invited to Ethiopia by Sports Friends and the Addis Ababa Football Federation. The Lady Eagles spent the first few days visiting the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, the Mother Theresa AIDS orphanage and another orphanage adopted by the US Embassy, as well as doing clinics with another women's team and a youth team. The team expects to play another match next Sunday against another top Ethiopian team.