Carrissa Rossi and Corey Rossi have never spent much time apart. Even before they were born, they were in close quarters.
The 22-year-old Rossi girls, identical twins, will have to adjust to a new reality soon. In early August, Carrissa will leave for the University of Central Arkansas, where she'll begin training for her fourth and final season with the UCA women's soccer team, nicknamed the Bears. Corey, meanwhile, has already completed her playing eligibility with the club and will remain in Prince George for the time being. She may work or she may travel. But she won't be playing soccer with her sister and that will be strange indeed.
"Right now it's nice being home but I know definitely when Carrissa goes back I'm going to miss her and all the girls," Corey said. "As much as pre-season sucks, and it's so hard, I'm going to miss being down there and just playing. It was just playing soccer, like every day."
Corey found time to earn a bachelor of science degree, specializing in health service administration, so it's not like she didn't attend any classes while she was at UCA. But playing soccer for the school was her passion. The five-foot-two centre midfielder is now filling the void by suiting up in the Prince George Women's Soccer Association and by playing for a PGFC all-star squad as well.
As for Carrissa, she started her UCA playing career one semester after Corey and that's why she still has a season of eligibility left. Carrissa, a business student, is excited about stepping back onto the pitch with her Bears teammates but will notice the absence of Corey every day.
"It will be so weird," said Carrissa, a feisty defender who was one of three team captains last season. "It's sad. We always train together and stay together. It's nice to have someone to push you and keep you on track. That was always cool so it's going to be really hard going back without her."
The Bears compete in Division 1 of the NCAA so the quality of play is extremely high. The UCA women's soccer program joined the top division of U.S. college athletics shortly before the Rossi siblings arrived on the scene and, to date, hasn't qualified for the Southland Conference playoffs. Carrissa hopes that changes this year under new head coach Jeremy Bishop and new assistant Derek Nichols.
"We have two really good coaches coming in and I got to help do the recruiting for our coaches so it was a good experience to be involved with it," she said. "I got to be in the interviews and ask some questions that I thought would be important to our team. Being able to have a say in our coaches and knowing that they're going to get us on track is exciting. It's going to be a good year."
Carrissa will do her best to enjoy every single minute of the season, because, in the back of her mind, she'll know she's just months away from being a former Bear, like Corey.
"I get to do it one last time, and it's unfortunate that she doesn't get to, but I guess I better appreciate it a little bit more knowing that she's going to be here [in Prince George]," Carrissa said. "I have one more chance to have some fun down there. It goes by so fast. It just feels like yesterday we were getting ready for university and now I have one semester left."
UCA is located in Conway, a short distance from Little Rock.
The Bears will start their season with an Aug. 9 road game against Missouri State University. UCA's regular schedule concludes on Oct. 26 and the Southland Conference tournament will be held Nov. 1-4.
