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Women's Soccer set to host 2nd Annual Pie Day on Friday
By Matt Green
ROME -- Head women's soccer coach Jennifer Colley has found a way to ease some of the jitters that come the day before a season opener -- just let your players chuck pies at a helpless head coach.
For the second straight year, the Shorter University women's soccer team will host Pie Day at the front circle in front of Sheffield-Thompson at approximately 12 pm tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 26.
In what has quickly become a tradition on the eve of the Lady Hawks' new season, Colley will allow every returning player that finished the 2010-11 academic year with a 3.5 grade point average or higher to throw a whipped cream pie in her face in front of any and every student, faculty member or administrator that chooses to stop and take in the fun.
"Academics have always been a priority and once again the girls have worked extremely hard," said Colley, whose team opens the 2011 season on Saturday at Ben Brady Field against non-conference opponent Montreat College at 6 pm. "I am very proud of the girls for their achievements in the classroom last year, but we plan to reclaim the honor of highest GPA in the athletic department this year.
"That is an extremely difficult feat with so many driven student-athletes at Shorter, but the girls have a strong motivation to succeed."
The women's soccer team boasted a team GPA of 3.345 last year and finished its 2010 season with seven Academic All-SSAC selections and three NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Six of the 11 returning players from last season will have the pleasure of participating in tomorrow's festivities: Kelli Davis, Blair Fine, Taylor Hays, Mary Kate Lollar, Samantha Stephens and Jessica Wright.
Members of the Shorter Admissions Department will have the honor of constructing the pies that will be thrown at Colley, who is no stranger to being pied thanks to her intelligent group of student-athletes.
"It's been proven that positive reinforcement is much more powerful than negative reinforcement," Colley said. "What's better positive reinforcement than hitting your coach in the face with a whipped cream pie?"
