As the LSU soccer team’s Wednesday afternoon practice drew to a close, it appeared that one of its players had suffered a brutal head injury.
Canadian sophomore defender Jordane Carvery sat with her fellow international players as she made an effort to clean what looked like a blood-red gash on the center of her forehead. It looked as if Carvery had taken a cleat or elbow to the face.
However, there was one thing that made the apparent “cut” suspicious: Senior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco, a Mexican international player, sat next to her with a smile on her face after landing a celebratory cupcake on her teammate.
“It [was] my birthday,” Carvery said. “Natalia [Gomez-Junco] got me with a red cupcake.”
No birthdays are forgotten in the Tiger locker room — even if a player’s birthplace is thousands of miles away.
Now, the LSU soccer team is where nine international players from six different countries — New Zealand, England, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama — call home for the majority of the year.
All nine players bring new experiences and cultures to the LSU team. The upperclassmen — namely junior forward Summer Clarke, who is from Canada — take it upon themselves to mentor their fellow international teammates.
“Summer mentored me when I came down,” Carvery said. “She showed me where to go and helped me with international stuff, like getting stuff signed so I can get back in the country. I had to get my I-20 form signed.”
Clarke said transitioning to playing in the U.S. wasn’t an easy task. Learning to cope with the heat in Louisiana was especially tough for New Zealand internationals sophomore goalkeeper Lily Alfeld and junior defender Megan Lee.
“When I came here, the heat was obviously a big thing because New Zealand was a little cooler,” Lee said. “Adjusting to playing in the heat was pretty hard. There was a lot more fitness and a lot more lifting and being physical on the field.”
Once players became acclimated to the weather, they were able to take a step back and appreciate everything their school had to offer. Gomez-Junco said she had never seen facilities like the ones at LSU when she lived in Mexico.
“Our locker room and field is awesome,” Gomez-Junco said. “All the rehab stuff, the doctors and nutritionists — there’s everything you would need as an athlete. There are so many resources we have that are very new to me. We have everything an athlete could possibly want.”
The international players said it can be tough playing so far away from home, and they cherish the few times their parents get to attend a game. Clarke’s family was able to watch her play in the team’s season opener at the University of Oregon because of the proximity to the Canadian border.
Lee said she is looking forward to having her parents make the trip from New Zealandto watch her play as a Tiger for the first time.
“My parents have never been here to see me play,” Lee said. “They’re coming for the first time in two weeks.”
A few years ago, LSU only had a couple international players on its roster. Senior Mexican midfielder Fernanda Piña was one of the players who came to the team without a familiar face beside her. She said it was hard adjusting to American soccer, but she said she’s glad she can mentor the other eight international players now.
There are two players each from Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. LSU coach Brian Lee said it’s the direct result of what he calls “international networking.” He said once you recruit one player from a foreign country and they have a positive experience, they are more inclined to bring a friend along with them.
“When you go to a new country or a new area in the United States and get a kid and they have a good experience, more than likely they’re going to bring a friend,” Lee said. “The kids are always your best salesmen. If good players are having a good experience, then we’ll get more.”
Lee said the nine international players bring a different dynamic to the LSU team on and off the field. The team has already proven that having a mixture of different playing styles can be very beneficial on the pitch, as LSU is currently undefeated heading into Southeastern Conference play Friday.
“It gives us a melting-pot feel and makes the learning process about each other a unique experience,” Lee said. “It’s a rewarding experience having kids from all over the world here with us.”