Darlene Hooley: “Today we rise to congratulate the University of Portland women's soccer team and Coach Clive Charles, on their 2002…”

“Today we rise to congratulate the University of Portland women's soccer team and Coach Clive Charles, on their 2002 Division I national title. As a former coach of young women athletes in Oregon, I recognize the commitment to endless practice and debilitating repetition that winning requires. The University of Portland Pilots women, in addition to making the sacrifices necessary for victory, represent the competitiveness, resolve, and success that collegiate athletics exist to foster. I urge the recognition of their recent feats as evidence of the triumph of the American spirit through sporting achievement, as well as the positive influence of Title IX on American society. The Pilots' road to the national championship required them to defeat seven squads that held coveted national rankings, proof that their opponents were among the Nation's finest. Those seven wins serve as a testament to the Pilots' collective commitment to playing hard, even against competition of the highest caliber. Surely there is no greater evocation of the collegiate athletic spirit than the competitiveness exhibited by the University of Portland women in those hard-fought wins against well-respected opponents. After a solid regular season, the Portland women entered the championship playoff as an eighth-seeded longshot to earn the title. Nevertheless, they emerged as the lowest seeded team ever to win the tournament.”