By Mike Bogen (The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD (July '07) - You don't have to be Derek Jeter or David Oritz to put a smile on the face of a sick child.

A group of New England Mutiny players proved that Thursday when they took a break from all things summer, and preparation for what is likely to be their greatest challenge of the regular season, and paid a visit to the Baystate Children's Hospital.

The Mutiny, who play host to the defending WPSL champion Long Island Fury tonight at 7 at Agawam High School, visited the Infants and Children's Unit and Adolescents Unit at the Baystate Children's Hospital.

And yes, it did not appear that the children - some even too young to recognize Big Papi - recognized any of the eight college-age players who visited. But that didn't stop the older kids from collecting autographs, or the younger patients from adopting the visitors as playmates. Mutiny forward Alexandra Zedros was the star of this event.

The University of Connecticut senior used her outgoing nature - an understatement according to her teammates - to interact with children from three to 16.

"I just love to be around people. I've always felt like I want to connect with children, and I've worked with them before," the Melrose native said. "I like to make people smile; people deserve to smile."

But, there was one inescapable fact of the visit, a fact as obvious as tubes, IV lines or oxygen. Some of these children do not smile. They did, and they will. But right now, they don't have much reason to.

"I'm an emotional person, and I was unsure of what I'd find here," Zedros said. "It's difficult."

But because of Zedros, one of a few Mutiny players who know the words to the Spongebob Squarepants theme song by heart, and her teammates, smiles did indeed come a little bit easier during the visit.

Mutiny goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, an Elementary Education major at UConn, organized a shootout in the playroom, positioning herself, on her knees, between goalposts that were really a chair and a little red wagon. Ironically, Labbe, a member of Canada's national team, was unable to stop even one shot taken by the five-to-eight-year-olds.

Wilbraham's Sam Fortier, might have had the day's greatest success, though.

The 18-year-old saw one little boy who, after refusing a staff member's invitation to join the group, was in a corner, playing video games by himself. She won him over with a mini-ball and a smile.

"He was just shy," Fortier said. "We played Mario."

In addition to Zedros, Labbe and Fortier, players who made the visit were Karyn Riviere, Jessica Diakun, Kyla Neschke, Erin Clark, Meghan Schnur, Danielle Dakin, Erin Gatto, Becky Wise and Karen Gurnon a cross-section of the team's players from its biggest star (Schnur) to its newest player (Gurnon).

"When I asked for volunteers, I think every player raised her hand," Mutiny owner Joe Ferrara said.

Some things are bigger than even the biggest of games.

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