Hello from Surrey Sports Park!

Wow, what an incredible past couple of days it has been! It’s a very surreal feeling that we started games yesterday. I can still remember my first tryout three years ago when playing in the 2017 World Cup was just a dream of mine.

Now we’re finally here! It has truly been one of the best experiences of my life thus far – and we’ve only played two games.

Today was similar to yesterday’s pregame schedule:

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.: Breakfast 

It’s apparent that I’m the only fan of the scrambled eggs with ham and cheese on top that the dining hall serves. Most people on our team prefer toast with peanut butter and honey or a banana for breakfast.

There’s a Starbucks in the same building, so I obviously have to get my gameday caramel iced latte – I never go a gameday without my pregame coffee! Most of us grabbed coffee on our way over to our pregame meeting.

In our meeting, the coaches went over our scouting report and we talked about our game plan. The highlight of the meeting was when the coaches announced that Kelly Rabil won the game ball and Katie Schwarzmann was chosen as the flag bearer for today’s game against Australia. Kelly and Katie were both very deserving of each of their awards. I’m looking forward to finding out who won it from our game today!

After our pregame lunch and another Normatec session, it was finally time to head over to the locker room. One of my favorite parts of our pregame preparations in the locker room is belting out “Come on Over” by Christina Aguilera. It’s such a great throwback and our team really gets into it. Michelle Tumolo and I work on our harmonizing together.

Fun Fact: Michelle Tumolo’s voice is “a combination of Fergie and Jesus.” I ain’t lyin'. Me on the other hand, I’m just trying to keep up with her.

3 p.m.: Gametime!

Today’s game was physical, fast, and so much fun to be a part of. Australia’s speed and relentlessness made them a great test for us to have as our second game.

As I reflect on the game, the one thing that sticks out to me the most is how well our team handled the adversity that was thrown our way and how we had each other’s backs. Playing man down for five minutes, due to two yellow cards, is not an ideal situation. However, our whole team stepped up to the challenge.

It’s the same way when someone on our team is having a couple of rough shooting moments – I’m only calling out Kayla Treanor because she said I could and we all know what an unbelievable finisher she is – and the other six players on the offense stepped up their game while still encouraging her to keep shooting. (Kayla said this broken fork represented her shooting percentage in our game.)

That’s one of the many things that I absolutely love about this group of people. It never feels like you’re on your own. It doesn’t matter if we’re on the field, off the field, in the locker room, eating or just hanging out in our flats at night.

I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by so many amazing people. The way we’ve meshed all of our unique personalities makes playing the game we love that much more fun.

I can’t wait to see what lies ahead with this group!

– Alice Mercer
(Twitter: @aliceNwondrlnd3, Instagram: @alnwondrlnd8, Snapchat: alicemercer)

Player Profile

ALICE MERCER

Nickname: Al
Years with the U.S. Program: 3
U.S. Senior World Cup Teams: 2017
Position: Defense
College: Maryland 2016
Honors: Tewaaraton Finalist (2016), IWLCA National Defender of the Year (2016), IWLCA First Team All-American (2016), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2016, 2014), Big Ten Defender of the Year (2016), Big Ten All-Tournament Team (2016), All-Big Ten (2015-16), Honda Award Finalist (2016), National Champion (2014-15), ACC Champion (2013-14), Regular Season Big Ten Champion (2015-16), Big Ten Champion (2016), IWLCA Second Team All-American (2015), IWLCA First Team All-Region (2014-15), ACC Championship All-Tournament Team (2014), First Team All-ACC (2014), IWLCA Third Team All-American (2014), IWLCA Second Team All-Region (2013).
Hometown: Woodbine, Md.
Current Residence: Grand Island, N.Y.
Current Career: Niagara Assistant

What does playing for Team USA mean to you?

Playing for Team USA means playing for something bigger than yourself. It means not only representing our country, but representing women's lacrosse on the highest platform possible.

What was your youth lacrosse experience like?

My experience with South Carroll Youth Lacrosse was great! I moved from Gamber Smallwood to South Carroll in 4th grade, where I started playing for Buddy Remenapp. He was an awesome coach who stressed the fundamentals of lacrosse. We competed for the championship every year from 4th-8th grade.

What other sports did you play in high school?

Varsity basketball and field hockey for four years.

Who is your favorite lacrosse player?

Katie Schwarzmann. She makes everything look so easy.

If you could have one song played after every time you score or make a big play, what would it be?

"Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Kool. Because it gets me hype, duh. 

What is your go-to pregame meal?

Chicken alfredo or sausage, egg and cheese with iced coffee. 

What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?

I said I would never move to the state of New York – and here we are.

Was there ever a time when you doubted yourself?

I doubted that I could actually get on the field my freshman year at Maryland. I thought maybe I was good enough, but I was scared to fail, and at times, I played timid in practice. I was scared to go 100 percent against some of the better players on our team because I didn't want to get beat. I persevered by putting myself in a position to be successful – being confident in lifts, runs and school eventually carried over to the field. That, and my teammates and coaches building me up gave me the confidence to play the way I knew how to play. Overcoming the doubt would not have been possible without the coaching staff believing in me and consistently building me up.

What is the best advice you received from a coach?

"Stop doubting yourself and playing scared. You wouldn't be here if you weren't good enough." – Buddy Remenapp, South Carroll youth lacrosse coach

What advice would you give young players who dream to reach your level? 

Work hard, stay humble and always remember why you started playing.

What one word do you think best describes yourself?

Saucy. I feel like I spice things up. I bring a little extra zing to situations and groups of people. You can always tell when there's sauce on your food. I try not to go unnoticed.

Follow the U.S. women's national team as it competes for gold in the 2017 Federation of International Lacrosse Women's World Cup in Guildford, England, and the 2017 IWGA World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. This "Mission Log" will continue throughout both events with each player providing insight on their journey.