Liz Masterson is a 23-year-old midfielder for the Rochester Rhinos women's soccer team. She grew up in Colorado playing several sports, then attended St. Lawrence University in New York where she played soccer and was named to several All-Conference teams. After college, she played semi-professional soccer for the Massachusetts Stingers, but chose to join the Rhinos due to the better facilities and support from the men's team. While women can be paid to play professionally, there is currently no professional women's soccer league in the U.S., so the Rhinos provide the highest level of competition besides the national team. Masterson hopes to try out if a professional league is reinstated.

1. PEOPLE [ profile ]
ROCHESTER RHINOS WOMEN’S TEAM
Before the 2007 season got
LIZ MASTERSON
STORY BY PAM COWAN PHOTOS BY MATT WITTMEYER
under way, Masterson, a center
midfielder, talked with insider
about her career and her hopes to
some day play in a fully profes-
sional league.
pamc@rochesterinsider.com mattw@rochesterinsider.com
Why did you focus on this sport?
I think it’s mostly the friendships
Growing up in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Liz that I made on my team (as a child) that
Masterson was an avid soccer player, skier, really attracted me to soccer and kept me
playing. I still have friends from when I was
snowboarder and ice hockey player. 10 years old who were on my soccer team.
Since moving to New York state in 2001
to attend St. Lawrence Univer- You’re from Colorado. What made
sity in Canton, St. Lawrence you choose St. Lawrence University?
They have a Division I hockey program.
County, the 23-year-old When I went there, I was planning on walk-
has made quite a name ing on to the hockey team … I went there
for herself. for preseason for soccer, and about a month
into it, I would have had to start practicing
While in school for hockey as well. (She opted not to do that.)
she was chosen for
the National Soccer After college you played semi-pro
Coaches Association soccer with the Massachusetts
Stingers. Was there a big difference be-
of America First tween playing college and pro soccer?
Team. She also was Oh, yeah. It was a huge step for me. The
named four times to speed of play was incredibly fast compared
the First Team All- to what I was used to, and I had an ad-
justment period, for sure, in that first sea-
Conference team. son. … Because this is a summer league, a
10 For about a year after col- lot of people are there to just train for their
lege, she played semi-pro soccer college teams so they aren’t really there. It’s
not their No. 1 season, it’s their backup. …
for the Massachusetts Stingers. For some of us, it is our No. 1 season; it’s all
And in 2006, she joined the we have to look forward to.
Rochester Raging Rhinos
Why did you choose to leave them
women’s soccer team as and come to Rochester and play for
co-captain. the women’s team?
The experience I have had with the Rhinos
was far greater than the experience I had
with the Stingers. … The Stingers aren’t
associated with a men’s team, so we were
playing on high school fields that were really
horrible and in poor condition. When we
traveled … we would have to drive our own
cars. … It’s much different with the Rhinos.
INSIDER
At what level do women soccer
players get paid?
At the professional level women are paid,
but since 2003 there has not been a profes-
sional women’s league in our country, so
JUNE 1, 2007
this is really the highest level of women’s
soccer — besides the national team.
If the league is reinstated (there has
been talk that it will happen in
2008), will you try out for a team?
I would love to. … Honestly, I think at
most I could probably be a practice player,
but … that’s what I keep playing for — the
www.rochesterinsider.com
idea that (I) could try out to play on a pro-
fessional team. ◆
LIZ MASTERSON (IN LESS THAN A MINUTE)
AGE: 23 and Westchester County the rest of the year ON PLAYING IN ROCHESTER: “Pretty much Canadian teams — Toronto, Ottawa,
OCCUPATIONS: Assistant coach for the women’s EDUCATION: 2005 graduate of St. Lawrence “I think the Rhinos offer the women’s side a lot Laval and Hamilton. One team from Vermont.”
soccer team at Manhattanville College in Pur- University with a bachelor’s degree in govern- more,” though they don’t get paid. “I like that our ON PLAYING FOR FREE:
chase, Westchester County; mid-fielder for the ment. She’s currently getting her master’s in coach, Peter (Amos), is really involving us in the “We just grew up never knowing that we could get
Rochester Rhinos women’s team sports business management at Manhattanville community. We also get to play in a stadium.” paid, so we play because we love the game.”
RESIDENCE: Rochester during the Rhinos’ season College. ON WHO THEY PLAY: PREGAME RITUAL: “I do a crossword puzzle.”