[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2771]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING UC SANTA BARBARA MEN'S SOCCER TEAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to support House Resolution 70, 
a resolution that this House passed earlier this week congratulating 
the University of California Santa Barbara men's soccer team for 
winning the NCAA Division I National Championship. I use these minutes 
to give my congratulations to the team and to the community.
  Along with my colleague, Elton Gallegly, I am thrilled have this 
opportunity to congratulate every player, coach, alumnus, faculty 
member, and supporter of UC Santa Barbara.
  On December 3, 2006, the UC Gauchos captured the National 
Championship by scoring two goals against the University of California. 
This is UCSB's second national title in school history.
  While all the Gauchos played their hearts out, I would like to 
acknowledge two standout performances. Sophomore Nick Perera scored a 
goal and assisted on Eric Avila's game winner on his way to earning 
All-College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament 
honors. Junior Andy Iro, despite playing through an injury, helped keep 
UCLA at bay and was named All-College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive 
Player.
  While the beginning of the Gaucho season was plagued by inconsistent 
play, the Gauchos fought to recover, winning 10 of their last 11 games, 
including six straight in the tournament. Coach Tim Vom Steeg, a UCSB 
alum, and his staff, Greg Wilson, Neil Jones, and Eric Foss, deserve 
tremendous praise not only for their impressive leadership in the 2006 
season but also for leading the dominating Gauchos to their second NCAA 
National Championship in 3 years. Coach Vom Steeg's colleagues were so 
impressed with his coaching abilities that they named him the National 
Soccer Coaches Association of America National Coach of the Year, the 
most prestigious award that a Division I soccer coach can receive, and 
this for the second time.
  Mr. Speaker, while the men's soccer team is a great example of the 
excellence the university produces, there is much more to celebrate. As 
many of you know, my husband, Walter, was a professor of religious 
studies for more than 30 years at this campus at UCSB before he became 
a Member of Congress. Through his experience as a professor and my own 
as a graduate, I have watched this university rightfully gain national 
attention.
  The University currently has five Nobel Laureates on faculty and was 
recently ranked in the top 15 best public schools in the Nation by U.S. 
News and World Report; and with a breathtakingly beautiful campus, it 
is no wonder that the men's soccer team and the University can attract 
such notable talent from all over the world.
  If any of my colleagues ever find themselves on California's central 
coast, I encourage you to stop by this beautiful campus and see for 
yourself all that it has to offer. Of course, don't forget to catch a 
soccer game at Harder Stadium. Go Gauchos.

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