The women's hoops team is taking turns writing the blog this season, and freshman guard Kari Luttinen checks in with the latest entry!!Be sure to bookmark portlandpilots.com/WBBblog and follow the Pilots all season long.
ENTRY #7: Kari Luttinen
Monday, January 2, 2012
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!!!
First off, I would like to formally introduce myself to all you Pilot fans from far and wide. My name is Kari Newton Luttinen (yes, it rhymes) and I am a freshman guard from Seattle, Washington. In my spare time I enjoy golfing and hanging out with my family and friends. WELL now that’s settled, I will catch you up on some Pilot Basketball!
Following our final exams, our freshies and sophomore Pilots staying in the dorms moved out to a hotel for the break. Because all dorms are closed over winter vacation, we get the privilege of hotel life for a month or so. (This means clean rooms and free breakfast EVERY DAY wahooo!) Don’t worry Elyse, it’s the good breakfast with your favorite chocolate chip pancakes and sausages. As for transportation between the hotel and practice, your Portland Pilots can be seen whippin in a big, tan van, which has been named Chester by the team. Chester is looking for a very special lady out there so, if anyone spots a big Ford van (preferably light blue or pink,) relay the message to me and I’ll be sure to set the two lovebirds up.
Winter break also brings more time to practice and more time to relax! In attempts to fill our newfound free time, freshman post Cassie Thompson, freshman guard Colleen “Philly” Olinger, and sophomores Elyse Snyder and Erin Boettcher have taken up crocheting. I have caught them crocheting in the locker room, in the van, in their rooms (while watching Jeopardy might I add), in the hotel lobby, and by the fire. Check out all their work from the past few weeks below. As for me, aside from catching up on my sleep, I began reading, but more like obsessing over, the Hunger Games series, books I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking for a good read!
Philly and Erin showing off their crocheting skills
Chester, the van
Christmas came and went and your pilots are well rested from a quick trip home and are back on The Bluff! Everyone departed for home after our win over the Matadors of Cal St. Northridge last Wednesday. BIG props to Natalie “Nikki” Day for her 1,000th career point as a Pilot! She led the way last Wednesday with 27 points, while sophomore Cassandra Brown (CB) followed by putting up 12 points.
A majority of the squad had yet to return home since our arrival in August, needless to say that a little family time was much appreciated. To our surprise, we return to some stunning 40 degree rainy, windy weather, having your girls FEELIN GREAT.
After a tough loss to Gonzaga on the 29th, the team has been gearing up to continue WCC conference play with a game against the BYU Cougars. Come out and support your Pilots Monday afternoon at the Chiles Center at 2 PM. If you can’t make it out to the game, be sure to check out our live audio and video coverage by the lovely Sarah Griffin at www.portlandpilots.com.
Following our game against BYU, we are off to the sunshine state of California, home to Amy “Famous Amous” Pupa, Elyse “Big E” Snyder, Erin Boettcher, and Jasmine “Jazzy Leigh” Wooton! Family and friends will be present from all around to enjoy our games against Santa Clara and Pepperdine next week. With BYU being added to the conference, an odd number of teams makes travel a little more complicated. Rather than taking a trip to the Los Angeles and making stops at LMU and Pepperdine both, we will travel to northern California for Santa Clara, then hop off a flight to SoCal for Pepperdine.
I hope everyone had a terrific New Years! Let’s make it a good 2012. Until next time, DEUCES!
- Kari Luttinen #23
PREVIOUS ENTRIES
• Entry #1: Sarah Griffin (Sept. 19, 2011)
• Entry #2: Amy Pupa (Sept. 30, 2011)
• Entry #3: Colleen Olinger (Oct. 4, 2011)
• Entry #4: ReZina TecleMariam (Oct. 24, 2011)
• Entry #5: Cassandra Brown (Nov. 21, 2011)
• Entry #6: Natalie Day (Dec. 22, 2011)
