Not Clouded By Starpower with Erin Matson

her team's quest for a third straight national title. Plus a hockey what the fact that'll have you shake in your head and a heartbelt. Happy birthday to my real MVP. It's all coming up right after this. Welcome back slices, Happy Friday. Here's what you need to know today. Tomorrow's the day the NWSL semi Finals kick off with the duel between the Washington Spirit and defending champs Got Them FC at twelve pm Eastern on CBS and streaming on

Paramount Plus. It'll take place at Audi Field and get this, the Spirit sold out tickets to the matchup in just seventy two hours. Also, legendary DC rapper DJ Cool will be clearing his throat to perform at halftime of that one. Sure to be a great time for all attending. Kind of bummed I can't go because, let me clear, my throat was on every single hype mix that I made for myself for all of high school and college. And if you don't know, you better ask somebody. Well, the

Spirit spoiled goth them's repeat chances in that game. Where will the visiting side steal one on the road and steal a spot in the championship. We'll have to wait and see then. On Sunday, the Orlando Pride host the Kansas City Current at three pm Eastern on ABC. It's the battle of the forwards in the quarterfinals Golden Boot winner ten, which Huwinga scored the winning goal for Case against the Courage and Barbara Banda put two in the back of the net in the Pride win against the

Chicago Red Stars. So can ten win team knock off the number one club in the league and earn the chance to play in the final at their home stadium, or will the Pride and legendary footballer Marta make their way to the championship in KC. If you missed our episodes with Jeff Kasoof and Meglenahan this week two of the most brilliant minds in the soccer media game. Go ahead and take a lista before Saturday so you're all

caught up. Also, the NWSL Skills Challenge set to take place at CPKC Stadium Friday, hosted by a friend of the show and NWSL and US Women's Nationalist seem legend Sam Ewis. It won't be available to watch live, but it will air on CBS Sunday at three pm or five pm Eastern. Check your local listings. It'll also be available to stream that day on Paramount Plus. No word yet on whether they've added that river goal competition. Come on, Cowards, do it elsewhere in the NWSL, Angel City FC is

moving on up. The club will relocate training sessions to a new performance center for the twenty twenty five season, a nine acre site on the campus of California Lutheran University with a full size pitch and a half and approximately fifty thousand square feet of indoor space. It'll be the largest performance cetre dedicated solely to an NWSL club. It'll also include custom lockers for players, coaches, and staff, a children's playroom, a studio for content capture in interviews,

and more. Previously the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, The space is undergoing a multimillion dollar remodel that'll be complete in time for next season, and it will serve as home for acfc's players and first team staff for up to four years. In college soccer, the NCAA College Cup starts today. Number one seeded Florida State begins its title defense against Samford at five pm Eastern down in Tallahassee. We'll link to the full tournament bracket and schedule in

our show notes. In college vibs, Niche, We're doing this again, Vibes. In college volleyball, we got a bunch of rank matchups this weekend, including number one pit in action against Florida State today at seven pm Eastern, and number twenty one Florida versus number twenty five Missouri at eight pm Eastern. There are ten other top twenty five teams hitting the court today as well. Full slate of games over the weekend too, so we'll link to the schedule in our

show notes. In college hoops, we got a big Top twenty showdown on tap today between two unbeaten teams Number two Yukon facing number fifteen UNC at six pm Eastern. That one's airing on ESPN two. There are a bunch of games Saturday Sunday two, and you know the drill. We'll link to the full schedule in our show notes. And we're not surprised because this is arguably one of

the most anticipated seasons of college basketball ever. But there have been quite a few notable performances across the nation this week. In number seven LSUS one seventeen forty four win over Charleston Southern on Wednesday, senior forward Anissa Morro put up twenty one points and twenty rebounds, becoming the only Division IE player in the last twenty years to record a twenty twenty game for multiple teams. In UCLA's ninety one to fifty four victory over Pepperdine on Tuesday,

not one but two players posted dominant double doubles. Junior center Lauren Betts put up seventeen points and twelve rebounds, while Texas A and m transferre Jenia Barker scored eighteen points and snagged eleven boards. Also on Tuesday, number three ranked USC put on a scoring Clinic, dropping a program record one hundred and twenty four points in their win over cal State Northridge. Sophomore star Juju Watkins had twenty one points, nine assists and six steals in that one

to alpine skiing. Five years after retiring from ski racing, Lindsay Vaughn is aiming to return to the slopes. The three time Olympic medalist and eighty two time World Cup race winner stepped away in twenty nineteen after decades of injuries, most of them from gnarly crashes, and it meant she was no longer able to compete at the level she wanted. Now forty years old, Vaughn told The New York Times that following a knee replacement surgery earlier this year, she

was shocked to discover she's pain free. Vaughn will participate at the US Ski team's upcoming training camp and is aiming to make her World Cup return this season, possibly as early as mid December. To the WNBA. The draft lottery is this Sunday at five pm Eastern on ESPN. Here's how it'll work. The four teams that didn't make

the playoffs this year. That's the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, and Washington Mystics are vying for the number one draft pick in the twenty twenty five WNBA Draft. Each team's odds are based on their cumulative record from the last past two years. The Sparks boasts the worst record twenty two wins and fifty five losses in two seasons, giving them about a forty four percent chance of getting

the number one pick. Dallas and Chicago have about a twenty three percent chance, while the Mystic's chance is approximately eleven percent. Worth noting Dallas has the right to swap its first round pick with Chicago, so even if the Sky get the number one pick, that pick is likely headed to Texas anyway, So we mentioned that Lindsay Vaughn

is aiming to make her competitive return to skiing. This is incredible and when producer Alex heard the news, she immediately told me and Meish that she had a Lindsay Vaughn story she wanted to share. So Alex, get on in here.

now bring that joy to all of you. So I had the opportunity to cover the last years of Lindsay Vaughn's career, which mostly meant keeping track of her numerous injuries because there were a lot fractures, ACSS, bone bruises, she once sliced her thumb open with a champagne bottle in the middle of the World Championships, and how to get emergency surgery to repair attend in another thing to know about Lindsay, she loves dogs. During the final years of her career, I also got to know Lucy, who

accompanied her pretty much everywhere, including to most interviews. So that brings us to twenty nineteen, when Lindsay Vaughn announced that she was planning to retire following that year's World Championships. And when she did, because she was such an icon in the sport, it got pretty much picked up by every news outlet. And I am going to show you a screenshot of one of those retirement stories right now, and I would like for you to explain to listeners what you see.

and yes, it was Lindsay Von's sister. And that's when I gave myself a little break in life because Lindsay Von's sister, who is not a professional athlete, world champion skier, still has the most rockiness world champion body I've ever seen. And I was like, it's genetics. It's genetics. I can't help it. Anyway. I always think about that because I was playing ping pong against the two of them, looking across the table, like what the fuck? Not fair? Anyway,

Congrats to Lindsay. I cannot wait to see her come back, after interviewing her and talking to her, after reading her book, and like listening to the details of all those injuries, the fact that she's like, hmm, I had a couple good days strung together. I think I'll get back to it. Is like why she's so great? Like who thinks like that? All right? Good stuff? Alex also dog x rays freaking hilarious. She's got that dog in her. I guess is what the Daily Mail was trying to say. We're gonna take

a quick break when we come back. We're talking in hockey field, not ice with UNC head coach Aaron Mattson. We caught up with her on Thursday ahead of UNC's NCAA tournament opener today against Delaware and side note, I was on a phone instead of a computer for that interview because my computer broke, so the audio might sound just a little bit different than the rest of the show. Anyway, good interview, stick around.

history in any sport to win an NCUBA championship. As a player, she played on four NCUBLEA championship teams and was a three time recipient of the Honda Sport Award for Field hockey, becoming just the second player ever to win that honor three times. This season, she was named

the ACEC Coach of the Year. UNC is currently eighteen and no. She led the team to their eighth straight ACC title last weekend, and she's now going to try to lead them to a third straight national title, her second as head coach and her sixth overall.

lining of all of that chaos. But going into my fifth season, my last season, I there were just kind of rumblings about our coach retiring and she never told us like, hey, I'm retiring, and she never like her and I never talked also about everyone's always like how did how did those conversations like blah blah blah. It's like those didn't happen because I was still playing and she was still coaching. But I don't know. I kind of just I loved coaching. I never thought I could

do it anywhere else. And then the stars kind of aligned where she was going to retire, and I was like, Okay, wait, maybe this isn't as crazy as I thought it was or as like impossible as I thought it was. So I was like, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna go for it. But what I didn't want to happen because our season starts in August, and if we go all the way,

we always finish right before Thanksgiving. And I didn't want R A. D To be like having conversations during season, like landing on anybody when I was still playing, and then come November when our season was over, you know, already have someone in place and ready to go. And I didn't want to be overlooked. So I went to his office actually and I was like, hey, can we meet, which also, looking back, like a student athlete asking your athletic. I don't know why he said yes, but thank you, Bubba.

But I into his office and I basically just told him that. I was like, I don't want to be overlooked. I can do this, I can prove it to you. I know I'm still playing, so let me compartmentalize and handle that professionally, and you know, just trust me with that. But like, I want a shot at this job. When it opens up. And he was definitely not expecting that

to be the topic of conversation. And I was twenty two years old at the time, so there were lots of layers of Aaron, what the heck are you doing? But he looked at me and he said, Okay, go win a national championship and then we'll talk.

but the stars never aligned. And also I felt very passionately about like I can't go do the normal trajectory of like going to another school and like I can't be wearing orange, or like this is the best school ever like we had and like no, like it's I had a very unique student athlete experience, like it's only Carolina, like ever.

same teammates. You just flip a switch and now you come back and you're the coach. What's the toughest part there?

with it and so purposeful with it. And it's the obvious answer of I played with I think last year's team there were only five girls who I didn't play with, and we have a had a team of twenty eight last year, so I played with twenty three of them and like just striking that balance of actually, let me use this to my advantage because I know everything about them. I know what they were complaining about because I was

also in the locker room complaining about it. I know what they are happy with because I was happy with it. I also know like how to talk to them because I know who can take the you know, hard, firm, direct, criticism and who needs like the positive reinforcement. So like I was like, let me spin this and use it to my advantage. But I also had to be so intentional with like I'm the coach, Like I'm not your

friend right now. Okay, we can go back to I had this conversation with a couple of girls, girls who graduated last year after the natty, and it's like, okay, now we can resume, like catch me up on your life, like you had to get It's like.

the like what happened, what's all the like what? Yeah, because I just had to, like I had to separate it and even personally, like I don't know, for example, right now, where there's this social media company we're diving into, Like how I can you know, kind of take it to the next level, And it's like it's so interesting because you can see like your two personalities of like normal twenty four year old but like badass coach like I, and it's it's been an interesting road to like separate

that so like tricky in that sense, but not in the way of like it's a bad thing. It's just been like that's been.

years ago as a player. That's fascinating, know, and I'm really impressed by your maturity, not just in the ability to sit down with your friends and explain to them how that's going to change and how as soon as they graduate you can come on back, but also to your point being a twenty four year old, particularly right now with social media, you can't get caught doing things that aren't right for a twenty four year old but aren't great for your head coach to be doing right

that don't feel appropriate, and that's that's really tricky. Okay, so season two, now, is it easier flipping those teammate to coach relationships? You know you mentioned these are your friends, these are folks you were going to parties and bars with the further distance you get from that, does it seem easier?

Now it's the like these next two years, this year and next year are going to be the Okay, it's half and half, like half of these guys never played with me, don't know me as a friend, like they came in as freshmen and like they've only ever known me as a coach. And then it's going to be the next phase a few years from now of like, okay, these are all of our recruits, like all of everyone I brought in, so it's like it's going to be a I don't know, a journey in itself of.

feels like there's been a pivot. Have you witnessed that in your career, going from being a player for coaches like that into a coach yourself and trying to recognize which things you want to pull from what you've seen and which things you want to be part of a new generation of coaches doing.

a brick wall like you know. But that's definitely not everyone. And it's been so interesting with me finding and creating my coaching philosophy. Like I never I never was like that towards my teammates per se, but I responded well to it. So for me, it's all about striking that balance of first off, first and foremost, like who are the people who like that and lean into that? Because I have some of my girls tell me like I like when you get on me, I like when you

like get intense. And then I have other girls who

are like Aaron that freaks me out. I don't we and like even if some of them don't know, like, of course that's our job, and like my job is emotional intelligence to like read the room and see how they need it and stuff, and like there is there is still a group that likes that old fashion like traditional way of coaching, but you have to couple it with the soft whether it's right after a drill or right after practice or being like extra soft off of the field so that you can be that way because

they like that on the field. Or there's the group that like is very avoidant of it, does not respond well to it, shuts down, and like you can't even you can't. You just can't. Like you have to control your tone, you have to control what you're saying. And I I don't know, I I feel I agree with you that it used to just be acceptable for everyone, whether they responded well to it or not. Now it's not like it needs to like necessarily go away, but it's just it's how you.

to kids anymore. But if it is someone who like likes that intensity when they're playing, then you've got to make sure you're hitting it from a different angle at other times. Because I definitely have noticed, like I have to be so intentional and purposeful with my choice of words with I mean, they listen to everything. They take every thing to heart. They pay attention to every action, so like it's not even just what you're talking and

saying during practice. It's the environment you're creating here in our hockey house. It's the environment you create in the film room. It's the environment they feel, you know, the alums feel. So then when they come back, our kids lean into what they feel. Like It's crazy how many things intertwine and I think you can use that old fashioned,

like intense style of coaching in the right moment. But it's just there's more layers to it now, and there's more There's just there's got to be more intention.

because we've been winning. People have fun here, they like what we're doing. We don't want to leave, so we've like retained a lot.

they know how to score. Charlie is one of the most competitive people I know and has that edge and brings that fire out there. And then Riley is just you don't even have to know field hockey, but you know she's at a different level and the game slows down for her and what she does and the passes she makes and the skills she she is able to execute like it's it's unworldly. So it's really fun. And I relate to them because I was the forward, the

goal scorer. I like doing the tricky, fancy things, and yeah, it's fun to coach them. And then our defense is honestly just rock solid. We have a lineup back there of veterans and just people who apply what we talk about and are like so like, which is like, okay, that's the that should be the standard, but they really do it and it's so underrated. And you know, there's there's just a good attacking mindset on the team, but defensive mindset as well, and it's a really good coupling right now.

let's win another Natty in a row. So like people think that like we just win and it just happens, But it's actually so underrated how hard it is to be at the top and one not get complacent with that and take that for granted, but like actually look to continue to push the standard. Like so this year it's been very interesting, Like with the eighteen and oh record, it's easy to like get complacent and be like we're

good enough. We can't do that. We always talk about like no matter who we're playing, you know, we are we're keeping possession, we're dominating every game. I'm not saying we are hands down better than everybody in the country like that is a that's not the mindset we have, but it is the mindset of like, we have to play the standard we set last game, and if we do that, we'll be in a good spot to compete

with anybody. So for us, like Delaware is gonna come out, They're going to give us fired, They're going to give us their best game. We're used to getting anybody's best game. But in our mind it's like, Okay, let's take into account their threats and their strength and everything. But if if we just beat the standard we set and beat ourselves hypothetically, you're good.

teams really hard. And then the other side of the bracket, you know, Michigan and Northwestern, UVA, Syracuse, they're all they're all in it. So a couple of these teams we've faced and we've you know, played well and had the ability to come out on top. But there's also other teams that we haven't faced who are doing really well. There's teams who, of course, at this point in the season, you know, maybe they didn't have a hot start, but

now they're peaking at the right time. So it's all of the exciting things that you want in a tournament. But all of the team's Northwestern, Michigan, Syracuse, I mean.

and he's like, all right. We brought a chair off to the side, like we want to recreate this and he showed it and I was like, this is sick, Like okay, but I really was like ha ha, Like do you have a cigar? And he was like yep, and he whipped it out of his pocket and I was like, yeah, we're really doing.

for the Olympics. USA field Dockey says it invited you to try out early twenty twenty three when they were establishing that main pool of candidates for selection, and when you weren't able to attend that camp, they refused to make other accommodations for you, even after you said, you know, coaching season ends, I want to turn my focus to playing. Tell me about the emotions that you had when they rejected your attempt to try out.

one hundred percent to both. Like either I'm going to coach really hard and my play is going to take a hit, which knowing now since I've been through it, like I didn't have a normal workout schedule and routine, let alone able to you know, train and give it my Also, I was like, that's going to be unfair to my play, my career, my teammates or okay, let me try to balance this and play and do it. And if I was giving all of my energy there,

this would have taken a hit. And like again looking back now, I couldn't have learned at the speed I did, done what we did, like it wouldn't have worked. So even though no one and I was grateful no one wanted me to choose, I felt like I had to and this was just an opportunity that I was like, this isn't going to come around in another year or two, like this is this is the stars aligned. Everything was circled, highlighted,

exclamation point like take this, go after your dream. So the message I said to us and everyone was kind of just like let me get settled. Like I'm I don't want to stop playing. I you know, my whole life, I've dreamed of being an Olympian, being an Olympian and representing my country and everything, and like trust me, Sarah, like I still hop out at practice and like keep the girls honest, like I can dangle up like I'm not.

I'm not too far removed, but I don't know it was time to come around yet to like okay, wait, I got settled way quicker than I expected. We like the national teams now in Charlotte, which is an easier, way, easier trip for me to get there. So again, kind

of all these things started settling. My staff was set, like I finally was in a really good place with my staff, and like they were on board with taking on some more things, and like I mapped out my whole calendar, but like I guess, I don't know, they just didn't. They didn't lean into it as much as I did. And you know, I my entire career has

been built behind inspiration and growing our sport. And I've you know, built a loyal following and a platform that has brought field hockey into rooms that it wasn't in before, you know, and we're successful here in the story and this and that, and you know, I can confidently like by my head hits the pillow at night and I can fall asleep because I know that hasn't waivered and it will never waiver. But yeah, like, would I have loved to be in Paris playing, Yes, what I you know,

have wished that was shaken out differently? Yes, But you know, I also I understand how fortunate I am to be where I am here and to have the opportunities I have here, And you.

be there talent wise, you were the best. Is the door still open for twenty twenty eight and La is there a potential softening of their stance or is there something you could do in advance of that camp to make sure that you're qualified and eligible?

That's where I'll leave it. But definitely not it's not closed at all.

the Fact. Let's go back to twenty fourteen. USA Hockey is hyping the unveiling of the Nike design jerseys that the men's and women's hockey teams will wear at the upcoming Sochi Olympics and Paralympics, and in a press release and in a press conference with men's players, they didn't

invite anyone from the women's team. USA Hockey excitedly announces some of the details on the jersey, including the fact that they had paid homage to pass USA gold medal winning teams by stitching the years nineteen sixty and nineteen eighty inside the collar. So cool, right, Only problem they didn't include the year nineteen ninety eight, the year the women won gold in Nagano, Japan. Incidental, Accidental, doesn't matter.

What matters is that a whole room of people at USA Hockey, a whole other room full of designers at Nike, and god knows how many other rooms of pr people and marketing and everyone else simply did not consider the women's team. These were the jerseys that they would be wearing, jerseys that they would put on to represent their country and to realize the accomplishment of their life stream, and

they were forgotten about entirely. The sled hockey team that won gold in two thousand and two and twenty ten, they would be wearing those jerseys at the Paralympics without their accomplishments honored either. This is just part of a long pattern from USA Hockey, and this slight was one of many that inspired the twenty seventeen women's team to

threaten a boycott. Just two weeks ahead of the World Championships that were set to take place on home soil in Michigan, the players announced they were boycott and quote unless significant progress has been made on the year long negotiations with USA Hockey over fair wages and equitable support

end quote. USA Hockey tried to get scabs, it didn't work, and ultimately the women got a four year contract with most of their demands met, and went on to win not just those World Championships in Michigan, but gold the next year at the twenty eighteen Olympics. They shouldn't have needed to fight so hard for basic respect and acknowledgment. Truly, what the fact? And here's another fact. Ninety two percent of women say music boosts their spirits while getting ready.

That's why Elf Cosmetics released get Ready with Music, the album, an empowering new album for every mood. This album blends makeup and music to celebrate self expression and is available now on the iHeartRadio app slices. We love that you're listening, but we always want you to get in the game every day too, So here's our good gameplay of the day. Watch some soccer, whether it's the NWSL semifinals or the

first round of the NCAA College Cup or both. Cozy up on your couch and take in all the football. We'd love to hear from you, so to hit us up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two o four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, Rate and review. It's easy watch your husband being the best, rating five out of five. Let's hear it for the boys. Review.

A big, huge happy birthday yesterday to my hobby Brad, who is always doing good in his corner of the world. While he was in Charleston for work on Wednesday night, he learned there was a librarian conference in town, and he spotted a table of them at the bar. While we always love librarians, we of course love them even more of late as they're battling against book bands and cens So Brad sent their table a round of drinks

and sent them a thank you. They started chatting and when they learned that it was about to be his birthday, they had the live band playing at the bar sing to him. A real mutual love fest, and that is the kind of story we need right now. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening, See you next week. Good game, Aaron, Good game, Brad in the librarians. Few laptops that break the night before you're taking the

international work trip. Yeah mm hm cool. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our editors are

Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistant from Lucy Jones and I'm your host Sarah Spain