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Spotlight on Former Athlete: Courtney Hofland Soccer 2006-2010 9/28/12Spotlight on Former Athlete: Courtney Hofland Soccer 2006-2010 9/28/12 It was always soccer for Hofland
By Bruce Brown
Written for Athletic Network
August 15, 2012 It would seem like Courtney Hofland is a long way from home, but that’s not the case.
Hofland, the career points leader in UL Ragin’ Cajun women’s soccer history, moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, in mid-August. It’s a long way to go to avoid hurricane season, but she had other reasons for the lengthy trek.
“I’m originally from here,” Hofland said on her arrival in Bismarck, “so this is coming back home for me.”
She and her fiance, Cliff Rhodes, completed the 31-hour trip just days after Hofland scored a goal in a 2-1 win in the annual alumni matchup against current Cajun players at UL.
“We stopped in Tulsa, then Watertown, South Dakota,” Hofland said. “The first day was 12 hours (on the road), then 14, then 5 today.”
It was a demanding trip for the couple, although her dog, Harley “slept the entire time.”
Hofland will be a cardiovascular ultrasound technician at Medcenter One hospital in Bismarck.
“I got my bachelor’s degree at UL in exercise science, then I specialized,” said Hofland, who played for the Cajuns from 2006-2010. “I had a family member who went through an ultrasound for their heart, and it really interested me. I love it.
“I lived in Lafayette for close to 15 years. I think I’ll like it here.”
Hofland knew from an early age that soccer was her sport, although she also played basketball, softball and volleyball in her youth.
“I started playing when I was 3, and I was a very small child,” she said. “I was playing Select when I was 7 or 8, and was on a U12 (Select) team when we lived in Bakersfield, Calif. I played ODP (Olympic Development Program) since I was about 10.
“When we first came to Lafayette, it was a big change for me. Youth soccer was a huge sport in California, and when I got here there was maybe one team per age group. But it’s grown quite a bit.
“Now a lot of female players from the program are getting the chance to play college soccer.”
Hofland competed for the Rage, as well as for LaFreniere in New Orleans, while honing her skills in Lafayette.
“I’m not fast at all,” she said, “but I have good foot skills and I see the field well. I loved it when I played it. It’s one sport you cannot do on your own. I played other sports, but when I got old enough I had to choose.”
A standout at Acadiana High School, Hofland opted to attend her hometown university.
“I looked at a bunch of other places, but I really got along with the girls in the UL program,” she said. “I fit in better, and ultimately decided to stay.”
At UL, Hofland totaled 15 points (5 goals, 5 assists) as a freshman in 2006, came back with 13 to help the Cajuns to a 9-8-4 record in 2007, and finished with 52 points in a productive college career.
During her college years, Hofland also spent a summer in Canada playing for the Hamilton Avalanche, to improve her skills.
“I remember a lot of the games,” Hofland said. “One year, either my sophomore or junior year, we played Denver in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at South Alabama.
“We led 1-0 at half, and that was the first time we had ever been up on them. They were always the team to beat, but our games were always really close. It didn’t turn out like we wanted _ we lost in overtime _ but that was really exciting.”
Memories stretch beyond the field, too.
“You go through the wins and losses,” Hofland said. “Those will stick with me for a long time. But I also remember the girls I met, and traveling places as a team.
“I made a lot of good friends at UL, and we keep in touch.”
Hofland, who hopes to return for future alumni contests, remains connected to her sport.
“My model growing up, of course, was Mia Hamm,” Hofland said. “And Brandi Chastain. I made sure I didn’t miss any of our (women’s) Olympic matches this year. I recorded them if I knew I couldn’t see them live. It’s unbelievable how good they are.”
U.S. Women defeated Japan 2-1 for Olympic gold.
“One we get settled in here, I’ll go down to the soccer fields and try to get on with a team,” Hofland said. “I might even get into coaching.”
No matter where she lives, Courtney Hofland will feel most at home on the soccer field.
Bruce Brown
Click here for Courtney and her 2006 teammates – and the 2007-2010 years for additional team and individual photos. Click here for Courtney’s Athletic Network Profile. Our rich athletic traditions were entrusted to the vision, hope, loyalty, and dedication of those former athletes and we will forever owe them a debt of sincere gratitude. May God bless each of them and their families.
Anyone with information, materials, pictures, memorabilia, etc., of the university’s former athletic program participants is requested to contact Ed Dugas at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu Thank you.The Photo Gallery Link located on the left side of the home page at www.athleticnetwork.net contains over 12,000 pictures of former and current athletes and support groups. Just click on photo gallery and when the menu appears, click on the sport or support group you wish to view. The years of pictures posted for that team or group will appear and you may click on the year you wish to view. One click on a thumbnail picture or narrative and it is enlarged; a click on the enlarged photo and it reverts back to the thumbnail. The Athletic Network seeks to post pictures of each team and support group for each year they represented the university. The stories of the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 honorees featured in the Spotlight on Former Athletes are still included in the News Page and may be viewed by clicking on "more news" at the bottom right of the News Box, scrolling down, clicking on the title of the story. Those spotlight features which are no longer shown in the News Page, have been moved to the Lagniappe Link of the "History of UL Athletics" located on the left side of the home page. The Spotlight on Former Athletes announcement has also been placed in the profile of each honoree, excluding the pictures. 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
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