The 90 Lady

Cannons, an Athena Division soccer team composed of 11

girls from Newnan, were recently invited to a Clemson

University Lady Tigers soccer game. The Lady Cannons were

special guests of the team as Clemson took on the

second-ranked Lady Cornhuskers of Nebraska.

The Lady

Cannons played an exciting game during halftime of the

Clemson-Nebraska match and cheered the Lady Tigers on to

a scoreless tie that ended as a scoreless tie in double

overtime.

Clemson

Coach Tracy Leoni took time out after the game to thank

the Lady Cannons for their support. She noted that not

only did the girls cheer each player by name, but they

knew which ones needed inspiration as well. Coach Leoni

told the girls that if it wasn't for their support, the

Lady Tigers would have lost the game.

After the

game the girls were invited on the field to share

brownies with the Lady Tigers and to get their practice

jerseys autographed. Leoni invited the Lady Cannons back

to another Clemson soccer match, and her team has adopted

them for life.

The Lady

Cannons are a new team, full of first-year players and

full of Mia Hamm fans. The team decided that rather than

drawing a name to determine who would wear the coveted

number, they would instead retire it and each girl would

wear a symbolic number 9 embroidered on her jersey.

"It's

the ultimate act of team unity," head Coach Frank

Jock said when asked why his Lady Cannons did this.

"Mia means so much to all female soccer players. She

is talented, focused on her teammates, never selfish in

her actions, and most importantly, is a true role model

for young girls both on and off the field."

The 90 Lady

Cannons formally retired her number, and each sent a

handwritten letter to Mia's home, along with a team

photograph in which they wore their jerseys, prominently

displaying the "Mia 9" logo embroidered on the

front.

The members

of the 90 Lady Cannons are Caroline Carter, Jessica Dell,

Caitlin Gill, Amanda Gunnels, Christen Hood, Nella

Jackson, Melanie Jock, Erin Landrum, Megan Mejia, Kathy

Murphey and Allison Zauner.