Kickin' in Cary

The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team is back on the road after a week-long break following Olympic Qualifying and the destination de jour is Cary, N.C. The team re-grouped here on Monday night and is preparing for its match against Australia this Sunday at WakeMed Park in Cary, N.C. (Tickets available on ussoccer.com for the FIRST domestic match of the year for the WNT). To be here in the Triangle is a nice bonus for the six players who have Carolina ties, having played (or currently play) their college soccer just down the road at UNC-Chapel Hill. For defender Cat Whitehill, it's the shortest road trip she could have. She's lives here. For four others (Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White, Heather O'Reilly and Lori Chalupny), it's certainly nice to get back to the old stomping grounds, see some old friends and visit some favorite eateries. For 19-year-old Tobin Heath, who will be a junior at UNC next fall, we're just hoping her professors don't see her on campus and wonder where the heck she's been. (Answer: Taking a semester off from school trying to make the Olympic Team). Not as much interesting or exciting stuff goes on during the domestic trips as does on international jaunts, but as always, we'll do our best here at the WNT Blog to keep the fans informed about the things you can't read in a press release. (Not that we don't like the well-crafted and highly informative press releases that are a staple of ussoccer.com).