As a volunteer coach of the De Anza Impact, a select 17 and under girls soccer team with players from several area schools, Whalen directs an amazing cast of high school athletes who hope their play in premier tournaments catches the eyes of college coaches.

But neither coach nor players imagined a script of summer success like they achieved in July, during a Scandinavian vacation of competition, learning and fun, and at a prestigious San Diego event in August.

"The team has been playing incredible soccer," the coach exclaimed, "with tremendous heart and phenomenal effort this summer."

"The trip was an amazing experience for everybody involved," said Whalen after the team outscored opponents 53-3 while putting together an 18-1 record during three tournaments in Sweden and Denmark.

The highlight of the European trip was participating in the famed Gothia Cup in Gothenberg, Sweden, an annual event that hosts about 1,500 teams in many age groups.

Led by an awesome defense, the Impact defeated all eight of its opponents, including national champions from Sweden, Scotland and Finland, to capture first place in its bracket. In the championship game the Impact beat a team from Helsinki, Finland, on penalty kicks (3-2), after battling to a scoreless tie during regulation play.

But more important than the competition may have been the championship environment. The team played the Gothia Cup final in a 50,000-seat stadium.

"The Gothia Cup final was something to see," the coach recalled. "About 3,000 were there and the game had full TV coverage, including instant replays on the Jumbo-tron during the game."

Goalkeeper Nicole Golobic (Mitty) "played very well" throughout the tournament, Whalen praised, "but she wasn't tested that often because the team in front of her shut down our opponents."

Anchoring the defense were Julia Anderson (Saratoga), Jasmine Stephens (Santa Teresa), Amanda Matthews (Mitty) and Maggie Harrelson (Carlmont of Belmont).

The leading goal scorer during the trip was Jennica Janssen (Carlmont), who tallied 16 goals. Much of Janssen's scoring success started at the midfield, where Amie Soares (Mitty) and Kate Berrini (Notre Dame of Belmont) "did a great job organizing our team and starting our attack," Whalen said.

Prior to the Gothia Cup, the Impact went to the Stockholm Summer Games, where it put together five straight wins to capture the event. The championship game was played in historic Olympic Stadium, which was built in 1912.

The only blemish on its European record came in Denmark. The Impact dropped a 1-0 decision to Grand Bode of Norway in the quarterfinals of the Dana Cup.

In Europe the team had to adjust to a style of play more physical and demanding.

"Referees let the game play and allow far more 'gamesmanship' than in the U.S.," the coach explained, "but the girls responded well and stepped up."

Other Impact players include three other Saratoga High athletes, goalie Katherine Bertelsen, forward Elise Schwarts and midfielder/defender Joanna Tung, midfielders Monica Thomas (Los Gatos), Sheela Saneinejad (Homestead) and Hillary Paine (Los Altos), and defender Sammy Kirberg (Carlmont). Other Mitty players on the team are forwards Stephaine Wilson and Christine Whalen, midfielders Catherine Kelly and Aoife Shalvey and defender Kim Cairns.

Kirberg, Kelly and assistant coach Albert Batista were not with the team in Europe. Eight parents and Saratoga High athletic trainer Heidi Peterson did accompany the team.

Team members learned to get along with each other off the field. The 18 girls slept on cots in one classroom of a Sweden school. They also learned how to compete at a high level, despite sleeping in a not-so-comfortable environment and eating strange food.

The trip had extra meaning to the players, because they personally earned the $2,800 each player needed for the trip.

Although some private donations were received, most of the expenses were covered by the players' hard work at car washes, garage sales and candy drives, according to Whalen. Some girls refereed games to help defray some of the cost.

Five days after returning from Europe the Impact traveled to San Diego for the Surf Cup, an event that Whalen calls "one of the toughest girls tournaments in the nation."

The Impact won the championship of the Gold division, beating top-ranked teams from Maryland, Arizona and San Diego (Hotspurs) just to reach the semifinals.

In the semifinals midfielder Thomas scored the decisive goal against the Rancho Santa Fe Attack, a Southern California club.

Anderson's "incredible header" in the final minute was the difference in the championship game against the OJSC Northstars of Los Angeles, Whalen said.

The next order of business for the Impact was to be the Blues Cup tournament in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend.