Long Beach State University Athletics
Messina a Warrior for 49ers
9/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Messina A Warrior for the 49ers "Nat, your jacket!" "It's one of those injuries, it's the wear and tear that frustrates her, we try to save her as much as we can," second-year LBSU coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. "She's dying to play every minute, but sometimes I need to tell her that she needs to put herself out of a practice, and she doesn't want to do that. She wants to be out there, set the example." When Ingrassia called on the junior to enter the second half of a 0-0 game against San Diego State on Sunday, Messina was so eager to get on the field in that eventual 1-0 win, she almost forgot to take off her warmup jacket. "Of course, I'm excited to go out onto the field, I sort of had the mentality that I wasn't going to play, because I hadn't been (that day)," said Messina, who is a co-captain for the 49ers (7-2-1) as they begin Big West play today at Pacific (6-3-1). "So when he said it, I think first and foremost I was like, get into it, here we go, you've got to get on the field, get ready to go. Of course I want to get out there, and I want to be out there." Messina, who admits she owns a black cat, may have crossed the path of one of those feline bringers of supposed misfortune prior to coming to LBSU from Santa Rosa. As a freshman in 2002, she was hit by a car on campus while riding her bike, but played in all 20 games and was named honorable mention all-Big West. As a sophomore, Messina was robbed of her season when she dislocated her left fibula in the second game, against Stanford. Named co-captain for the first time before last year's 6-9-3 (1-6-2 Big West) campaign, she fought through the usual wear and tear to again earn Big West honorable mention honors. "She gives everyone confidence that we can come back, no matter how many goals the other team might be up on us," said sophomore defender Amanda Perry, who usually plays next to Messina in the middle of the four-member backline. "No matter what Natalie's going through, whether it's mental stuff or physical pain, she's always ready to compete. She fights through any pain she's going through, she wants to be out there playing, to help us win." During the preseason, seven different players started the backline for the 49ers, with the two middle spots usually filled by Messina and Perry, while freshmen Sara Baca and Julie Megorden have also started in the middle. "Obviously, it's a big role to fill, she's really supportive, she just tells me to go out there and do what I know how to do," said Megorden, who started in the middle for Messina on Sunday. "I think it's really important to have someone that's been there, has the experience. She's a really good teacher, and she's a really good person to watch. She goes in hard all the time, never gives up, always gives it her all." Playing through the injury meant Messina didn't feel she was playing to her potential at times in the early going. She said she worked with a 49er sports psychologist, Kevin Fverduk, to come to terms with her latest injury, and realized she can still help the team, just as she always had in the past. "My file in the training room is extremely thick. (Head trainer) Dan Bailey says constantly, 'When are you leaving, because you're so expensive'," ' laughed Messina, who has started eight of 10 games this season despite that torn labrum in her left hip joint. "I have so many MRIs, and doctor visits, and X-rays, all this. But they love me." |
|
|
Copyrighted by Long Beach State and www.longbeachstate.com. All rights reserved worldwide.
No portion of this site may be reproduced or duplicated without the express written Please contact the webmaster should you find an error or out of date link.
