Bowdoin shattered Wesleyan’s last remaining hopes of making the playoffs on Saturday, scraping out a close 1-0 victory over the Cards. Wesleyan and Connecticut College finished the season tied for the seventh and final postseason slot with identical conference records, but Connecticut College beat Wesleyan in the head-to-head match-up, edging out the Cards for that last playoff spot and ending Wesleyan’s run.
“I’m taking away [from this season] an appreciation for the challenges and responsibilities of leadership, but also a regret that we may have wasted some of our potential this past season,” said Captain Marcia Whitehead ’08.
Wesleyan (3-10-1 overall, 2-6-1 NESCAC) lost only one game by more than one goal this season. Two of its losses came in overtime.
“I think more than any other season, we were a team that was highly capable on the field,” Whitehead said. “More than any previous year, we were a threat to every team, and were in a position to win any game we played.”
This weekend’s game in Brunswick followed suit as the Cardinals fought to recover after an early score from Bowdoin, but came up short. Bowdoin found the back of the net only 40 seconds into the game. A centering pass, a quick redirection, and a well-timed shot beat Andrea Giuliano ’09 in goal.
Giuliano went on to stop nine shots from the Bowdoin offense, keeping the Cards in it all the way. Unfortunately, Wesleyan’s offense had a frustrating day on the field after putting 14 of 16 shots on goal and coming away empty-handed.
“I’ve learned just how important it is to be ready for games and to leave everything on the field,” Kaitlin Ashley ’11 said. “Unlike high school or club, every team definitely puts their all into the game and considering the conference is so competitive, you need to be ready every time you step on the field because the team who wants it more can definitely upset their competition.”
The Cardinals have plenty to look forward to next year with a corps of talented freshmen returning. Ashley was a force on offense, leading the team in scoring with three goals along with teammates Sam Blank ’09 and Nicole Gray ’08.
“Everyone gets along so well off the field that on the field or during practice you don’t have to hold back and can play hard to make yourself and your teammates better,” Ashley said.
Cora Lautze ’11 and Dash Battelle ’11 also bonded with the team and gained collegiate level experience as freshmen, finishing with a goal each and playing in all of the games this season.
“The captains and older players did an amazing job of making us feel welcome on the team this year,” Battelle said. “Playing with them in such a competitive league was a great way to start our first year of college.”
Each player on the team is coming away from the last game a better, smarter competitor. Battelle elaborated on other important lessons she is taking away from this season,
“This year we learned a lot as a team; more specifically, not to lose the warm-up mix, a crucial part of our gametime preparation,” she said.
The Cards have never made the trip to the NESCAC postseason, but with this year’s accomplishments, the team can build for next season. Whitehead and the senior leadership on the team have a lot of confidence in this team.
“I think that if the team can use how much they care about one-another to generate additional fire and intensity in practice and on the field, we could see Wesleyan women’s soccer emerge as a powerhouse next season,” Whitehead said.
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