Four Dutch women headed for Costa Rica soccer tour
Central College
PELLA — A quartet of Central College women’s soccer players are traveling to Central America this summer for nine days to take part in the Fifth Annual Costa Rica Soccer Tour with Beyond Sports.
Midfielders Olivia Denham (sophomore, Bondurant, Bondurant Farrar HS), Kalee Findlay (junior, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS), Lauryn Kramer (sophomore, Cedar Falls) and Defender Jackie Sunderman (junior, Pella) will represent Central on the tour.
The team is made up of American college students and is chosen based on statistical leaders and all-conference recognition as well as coaches’ recommendations. Over the last seven years, Beyond Sports has provided international sports tours for thousands of college athletes from over 350 different universities.
The nine-day experience runs from May 15-23 and includes three games against Costa Rican club teams. Additionally, the American players will help at two service learning clinics coaching local youth. Sightseeing excursions to Manual Antonio Beach & National Park and the Arenal Volcano are also on the schedule.
Denham, an NSCAA All-North Region third team selection, had six goals for the Dutch in 2016. Three of her six goals were game-winning strikes. Logging 1,415 minutes, the most of any field player, Findlay had one goal and one assist last season. She started 19 of 20 games. Kramer, a second team all-conference performer, also had three-game winning goals. She tallied 11 total points with four goals and three assists. Sunderman started all 20 games for Central and piled 1,299 minutes of game action. She had one assist.
The American squad is coached by Jeff Parker, who has been the head coach at Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) for the last 16 years. The Ducks have won 10 conference titles under Parker.
