Farewell to the women’s soccer seniors with the end of the season

By  Berkeley Neuman

The Lewis & Clark women’s soccer team celebrated the departure of their two sole seniors in the last game of the season on Sunday Nov. 4. They played Whitworth University at home, a team they had tied earlier in the season. The beginning of the game was challenging for the team, as the Pirates scored two goals early on in the game. While some might have given up and lost hope, the Pioneers did not. Rather they refused to surrender and continued to fight back for the remainder of the game.

In the second half, Erin Lutz ’19 scored a goal through her determination and skill. Goalkeeper Megan Sawyer ’21 sustained a stunning defense, blocking multiple shots that prevented the Pirates from scoring at all in the second half. The Pioneers overall defense, led by Mali PetersonWood ’19 and Alexa Hanson ’20, was fierce, as all of the Pirates attempts to score where thwarted.

Despite the efforts of the aggressive offense, led by Paige Barta ’20 and Lutz, to create more shots on the goal, the clock ran out before the Pioneers could score again. During the course of the game they were severely hampered by penalties, with the Pioneers having sixteen while the Pirates only had six. These penalties interrupted the flow of the game for the team and stopped them in some of the key moments of the game.

Through all of this, the team persevered, displaying true grit and determination in the face of adversity. While the game may not have gone the way they hoped, it was still an amazing send off for the two seniors of the team, Lutz and PeteresonWood. They both had been a part  of LC soccer since their first year, playing in almost every game of every season. Lutz ended her career with 21 shots and two goals. PetersonWood had 31 shots and one goal.

Lutz reflected on some of her memories with the team.

“My favorite moments were our senior games over the years, especially in 2016 when we beat Puget Sound for the first time in 10 years,” Lutz said in an email. “The picture of our dogpile at the end of the game is still the background on my computer.”

PetersonWood also recounted her experiences as a player.

“I remember stepping out on the field for the very first time with the rest of the starting lineup and thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I am so lucky to be standing here,’” PetersonWood said in an email. “Every game after, as our team lineup (sic) before the game, that very same memory would pop into my head and bring me energy and excitement.”

Emily Tash ’21 described how senior soccer players influence younger players.

“The seniors were always role models, people I could look up to,” Tash said. “They were inspiring and proved it was possible to play soccer all four years, and made us want to commit ourselves. Especially seeing senior day and seeing everything they put in inspired me and the rest of the team to see that hard work at the end of four years really means something.”

The seniors voiced hope for the future of the program, one that will be carried on by their teammates as they continue to become stronger.