The Lancer’s women’s soccer team faced a difficult loss to Seattle U on November 1st. The loss costed them the WAC championship and post season play but looking back on the season the Lady Lancers had, the pride is still strong.
“I’m really proud of our teams’ heart, class and fight to get back into the game,” said Kristen St. Clair, head women’s soccer coach.
In the end, it was about more than just the championship.
“Every single person on the team learned something new and was a part of something bigger than themselves. I can definitely say I am proud to have been apart of it,” said Erin Gallagher, sixth year graduate student and center back and winger for the women’s soccer team.
The Lancers did not let the circumstances change who they were in the moment. They continued to fight till the end.
“Some positive aspects to our final match was the heart and resilience shown in the second half, trying to earn back what we had lost in the first half,” said Gallagher.
While it was a tough loss, the Lancers still pushed through with support from all around them.
“The final match at home was a huge heartbreak for us, but that game showed the character of the team down to the final seconds. It was awesome seeing how much support we had from fellow athletes, students, and faculty,” added Noa Schumacher, sixth year graduate student and goal keeper for the women’s soccer team.
Despite this bittersweet ending, the season was full of winning moments and, most importantly, a winning character developed within the team.
“This season was all about planting seeds, we set out at the beginning of summer to create a winning culture. It is funny talking about it because building that kind of culture has a lot more to do with what goes on off the field than actually on it. The team became a family this year and that is my favorite aspect of this season, but also the reason it hurts that it’s over,” said Schumacher.
Gallagher emphasized that growth is seen on the team and individually.
“The team this year grew exponentially from what we have been like in the 5 years I have been at CBU. We created a culture that truly bought in to the dedication and hard work needed to be successful. We may not have won the WAC but we can certainly be proud of our achievements in building a great culture for the future. Personally, I grew so much this season as well. Coming back from an injury that stopped me for 9 months led to things not going as I expected them to this year. I learned that no matter what was happening, it’s so important to pour love into my teammates and be the most supportive friend and mentor I can be,” she added.
Even though the season did not end as the team may have hoped, this season impacted the Lancers for the better. And it is still one for the books considering everything else they accomplished.
“If I had to choose how to describe the season overall, I would define it as counter-culture. I talked about how we set out to change the culture of the program and only those who have been in the program know how hard we worked collectively. It can be seen partly through all the success we had this season. Going undefeated in conference play, losing only two games all season, our head coach Kristen St. Clair being named Coach Of The Year and numerous accolades the team obtained,” said Schumacher.
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