Bernell DorroughA successful season ended for the women’s soccer team on Saturday following a 1-0 loss to sixteenth ranked Wheaton College (Illinois) in the second round of the Division III playoffs.
The game was a rematch of the season opener in which Wheaton thrashed the Bears 5-0. Unlike the season opener, this match was tightly played, as both teams struggled to muster up shots on goal.
Wheaton brought certain challenges to Saturday’s match, according to coach Dillinger. “Wheaton is a talented team. They are tall, strong and athletic and the style they play is difficult to match up against when the majority of our players are considerably smaller.”
The Bears were able to put only three shots on goal the whole game while Wheaton attempted six, successfully scoring on one of them. The goal came courtesy of Wheaton’s Sara Johnson in the first half. Johnson led the team with five shots.
It was the twentieth goal of the year for Johnson, and it proved to be the backbreaker for the Bears. Despite out shooting the Wheaton Thunder 6-5 in the first half, the Bears failed to come back from the 1-0 deficit.
Despite the tough loss, there is a silver lining. Dillinger said, “This game was a good measuring stick. It shows us how much we improved over the course of the season as well as what we still need to work on to improve our game. We have a great deal of young talent and this was a great experience for them. To win a conference championship and play in the Regional Semifinals of the national tournament is an invaluable experience early in their careers.”
The game ended what had been a very successful season for the Bears.
Even with the season over, coach Dillinger looks back at the season with pride.
“We had a great year. We improved as the year went on, won some big games and jumped onto the national scene,” Dillinger said. “Our seven seniors have been incredible leaders for us the past two years, and I couldn’t be happier for them winning the UAA Championship in their final season. They deserve it.”
The team finished with an excellent record of 14-4-3, as well as being ranked seventh in the nation. During a critical stretch of the season, the team reeled off 10 straight games without a loss, eight of those games being victories. The team played very well in divisional play, going 5-1-1 in the UAA. Home field dominance also permeated the team’s play this year. The Bears sported an incredible 7-0-1 record at home.
One of the bright spots of the season was the team’s formidable offense.
Over the course of the season, the Bears outscored there opponents 43-14.
They also were adept at applying pressure on the opposing defense by out-shooting their opponents 347-149. Perhaps the most exciting story of the year was the emergence of freshmen Meghan Fowler Finn, a talented midfielder that brought an immediate scoring threat to the offense.
Meghan led the team in goals, points, and shots on goal.
Even after looking back at the season as a success, there are plenty of things for the team to work on next year. “We need to get stronger and quicker. The offseason is the time to improve athletically. The spring season will give us the time to improve athletically. Finishing will also be a major focus going into next fall,” Coach Dillinger said.