On Senior Day, Chicago lost its last regular season game to No. 4 Wash U. UChicago ended the regular season with a 12–6–0 overall record. Despite the final score of 2–0 in favor of the Bears, the Maroons dominated the match offensively, leading in shots (14–3) and corner kicks (6–5). Second-year forward Mia Calamari made four of the shot attempts for the South Siders. Yet the Bears’ defensive abilities prevailed, enabling them to preserve the shutout throughout the game. This, in addition to their goals, which occurred in the 29th and 51st minutes, contributed to their victory.
The squad’s eight fourth-years were honored before the Saturday match. The seniors are: Emma Almon, Taylor Banholzer, Mary Bittner, Ryann Hanley, Nicole Mullen, Julia Ozello, Naomi Pacalin, and Bethany Robinson. The senior class has a cumulative record of 50–22–4, giving them an impressive .684 winning percentage.
Although fourth-year Ryann Hanley is happy and satisfied with her career at Chicago, she does not believe her work is done just yet. “Senior Day was a great day. The loss was very disappointing and the fact that this could have been the last time I’ll ever put on my jersey still hasn’t completely sunk in. Despite this, at the end of the game I was still so proud to be a part of this team and this senior class and what we have accomplished this season and in our past four years.”
Hanley continued, “I can assure you that if we do make the tournament, we will come out to train everyday this week harder than ever to be ready for the weekend. That feeling we all felt at the end of the game in the pits of our stomachs will only motivate us to work even harder so we never feel that way again.”
Fellow fourth-year Mary Bittner added, “Wash U was a good team and outperformed us at key moments in the game. If we do receive a bid [to the NCAA Division III Tournament], the loss to Wash U will serve as a reminder to the freshmen and underclassmen that every game has the potential to be the last time they play with our senior class. We hope that the team will understand and use this as motivation going forward.”
Luckily for these ladies, the journey is not over, and the fourth-years will get to put on their uniforms at least one more time. The women’s soccer team was informed on Monday that it received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Maroons will face Sewanee in the first round at Thomas More on November 14.
