From the first day she stepped on to the turf at University Soccer Stadium, Ashley Gunther dreamt of one day playing soccer at the professional level. Those dreams never included miniature horses, 24-hour sunlight, midnight golf, or legends of mischievous elves… at least not until now.
Gunther boarded a plane for Hafnarfjordhur, Iceland in early June, where she is joining the Haukar football club of Iceland’s First Division. She will stay there for three-and-a-half months, and since the sun will be shining 24-hours a day, she’ll have plenty of time to take in the sights.
“I’m looking forward to the midnight golf,” said Gunther, visibly giddy. “I have to try that.”
Chico State assistant coach Petra Kowalski spent a summer playing in Iceland after her collegiate career was over, and recently texted Gunther explaining that Haukar was in need of a center-midfielder. Gunther leapt at the chance.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for me to go abroad a play soccer,” said Gunther. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I know that I’m blessed to have this opportunity and there was no way I was going to pass it up.”
Gunther graduated from Chico State with a degree in journalism/public relations in May following a brilliant four-year playing career (2004-07). The two-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) pick and a First Team All-West Region selection as a senior earned those honors despite battling leg and ankle injuries throughout her time in a Chico State uniform.
“Ashley is one of the best players I’ve coached since coming to Chico State,” Wildcats Head Coach Kim Sutton said. “That didn’t always show up in the box score, but anyone who really knows soccer will tell you that she had a huge impact on the success of our program.”
Now she hopes to impact Haukar's success, at least close to as much as her trip to Iceland is going to impact her.
Kowalski’s experience certainly bodes well for Gunther.
“I’m really excited for Ashley, and truthfully, a little jealous that I can’t go with her because I had such a great experience there,” said Kowalski. “Iceland has more competitive women’s soccer than we do here. It’s a big deal there. You slip on a jersey that features all kinds of sponsors, you walk out and hear your name announced in front of a big crowd, and then you step onto the pitch with a lot of very, very good players. She will definitely feel like she’s had a chance to play soccer at a very high level.”
Kowalski paints a picture of a very unique place: “Summer in Iceland is a lot like a winter in Seattle. It’s not
going to be warm. But the landscape is so beautiful. The whole island was formed from a volcano, so it’s very unique. There are parts of Iceland that look like the moon, and there are also the most beautiful mountains you have ever seen.”
Clearly, Kowalski makes Iceland sound very different from what Gunther has grown accustomed to over the past five years. In other ways, it sounds as though it will feel familiar.
“Everyone knows everyone and the people are very kind,” said Kowalski. “The people always treated me like I was family.”
The miniature horses roaming the ninth hole during a midnight round of golf will certainly be a new experience for Gunther. Playing soccer in front of great fans and kind folks will feel a lot like home.
