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24 l was on my annual summer sojourn 1n Irayfield last week to enjoy a week of Iun m the sun. “up; - m.“ ., - But one thing kept me from an entirely teruuon-free Sum. mer holiday - watching my team, the Croatlans. advance through the World Cup. A fledgling soccer nauon. most Fans were only hoping that they'd make u past the first round. No one expected they'd defeat the mighty Germans on men way to the semiGais Them difficult journey to the finals was almost as hard as my arduous journey to find a TY to watch the game against the Romanians last Tuesday. Watching TV In cottage country usually means watch- mg a snowy landscape of shad- owy forms drowned out by an ear-grating shower of noise, usually In stereo. Rgmiamam in! Mesa” my ham finally left my throat "C'.". _ '“ ", -.._- TiT, '"' j ' . - . r Watchmg TV m cottage as my team notched the open‘ ,hileyltriy at Waterloo's Bechtel Par.k. Above, Tyler j iri', country usually means watch, mg goal. Kutasinski (centre) of the Skymckcts tnes to get a ball 3 '4; mg a s/ow-y Uridwarxr of shad- With the “Clary behind me.I past Jacob my?“ $131.") (f tot, Wagrloo 'tut) “g l my forms drowned out by an was able m commiserate with rf, 81:11:.ch f tout t,.,r,,1'lilorrfsa't'al'ee,r,caerr, “it: as; l car-grating shower of nolse, English Lanslalcr that day ‘rly . I: .0 e If . . p 'ld i g usually In 5mm I was left with only oné thing in“ ttttr/ttrestless".,,', 'iei1lrt'2e' t e I V tiii V r ll meant I would have m for m ponder How do 1 get out of am a g T Ttga 2'll',' L, '. 7 age out Into the collage country work to watch the next game? ' , M N' h l d t m ke her mark on the orld - _ ' t, ., ., M. L.,._1, , N mm mum muhfv from rhe A orolific scorer at Laure (liltsi)i_tt(i'l-ii_iii-, wilderness to lmd a TN that had the game on I hrst med Bayfield, but found that most of the local watering holes weren't open until ll 30 irm., a full hour after the opentng kick-off of the game U l next stopped at a greasy spoon with a satellite dish on the roof How was I to know they had it tuned In io the weather chan- nel for the sailing reports. Where were their priorities? l spun my car around and med Grand Bend, the next resort communny down the highway. I pulled In front of a place called the Rod and Gun Lounge. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best, but it wasnt open until 11:30 when Just when l was at the and of my rope, and ready to rent a hotel room with cable, a kindly clerk offered to turn to the game on a big screen TV in the lobby. As I stretched out on a sofa, my hean fmally left my throat as my team notched the open- ing goal. With the victory behind med was able to commiserate with English Uns later that day I was left with only one thing lo ponder How do I get out of Bob Wham: Chmmtlc staff . 100s of m bicycles . expert repairs . helmets . in line skates . protective equipment Iry.ttrb.ltearing vgrrdes. and my goal was to get back to the national team." Mchchol suffered a setback when a severe shoulder Injury kept her from playing, but surgery and extensive Physio- therapy got her healthy agam. "l worked hard for two years, and I came back," she said. "l was selected and I'm preuy excited." . The power forward was cho, sen for the travel team m April and has snnce visited such exotic locales as Spain, Slovakia and Germany as the team bmlds up for the Olympns Four teams qualify from the Americas with the favorites bung the US and Brazil. But McNichol likes Canada's chances, and thinks that Canada and Cuba should be the other two teams to qualify. "Our chances are pretty good," she sad "Cuba and us (Canada) should be the most competitive teams for the other two spots Knock on wood as my team says" Her national team exposure has also kd her In Slgn her first pm annuact She's off lo play hav keJUl In Random In August "flip-F-l!,!))'- at???“ OPEN EVE!” SWA‘I A prolifsc scorer at Dumm- ran, where she was an OUA all- star, shell be expected to light ll up for her Spanish team, "They play a big post, physt cal, fast-paced game." she sad "As a foreigner you're expected to score. That's what mm brought you over for." A/fd McNicho] IS am: pro who isnt afraid to be a role model. "It's good for young prls In the region to have d rule model," she said "There MC immense oppnrlumllcs in young women In pro sporls rr