After repeated success throughout the season, the Whitworth women’s soccer team was disappointed last Monday to find out that, once again, the bid for the NCAA division III women’s soccer championship was not theirs to claim.
“Our season was really awesome,” senior midfielder Lindsey Oakes said. “We had a lot of fun, we worked hard and we won lots of close games.”
The Whitworth Pirates had an overall record this season of 17-3, 14-2 in conference play. Their Northwest Conference rivals, the University of Puget Sound Loggers, took the Northwest Conference and were thus automatically given a spot in the NCAA tournament.
“I feel like we did well and did all we could do but just didn’t get rewarded in the end,” senior midfielder Molly Moore said.
The Loggers had an overall season record of 18-1-0 and a conference record of 15-1. Their only loss this season came from the Pirates in mid-October.
“We match up against UPS, player for player; all around I think we’re a better team,” Oakes said. “We have better skills, they’re just a very big, athletic team with girls that can score a lot.”
The NCAA tournament is compiled of 60 teams. Thirty of those teams are conference champions and the rest are determined by a group of NCAA officials based on such things as preseason matches, rankings and consistent records. Historically, the teams who receive those 30 bids have been predominantly East Coast teams.
This feeling is all too familiar for the returning Pirates. Last year tensions were high as they awaited the news to see who would continue in the NCAA Division III tournament, and once again, the Pirates fell short.
“I think we did all that we could do; I think the NCAA bids are very political,” Oakes said. “We played our hearts out all season and we couldn’t have done anything more; even if we had beaten Whitman, I don’t know that we would have gotten the bid.”
Determination could be the key to success for the Pirate women. After two years of disappointment, the women are inspired to work that much harder next year to claim what they feel they deserve.
“I think the girls will be a very strong team next year, and could win conference. We only lose two starters while UPS and other teams in the league are losing big time players,” Oakes said. “The coach is new this year but has whipped the team into shape. Most of them are coming back next year.”
Despite an early and disappointing end to the 2009 season, the Pirate’s record speaks for itself. Bid or no bid, the Pirate’s have had one of the greatest seasons in women’s soccer history, and in their frustration they reminisce of the matches won and the lasting friendships made.
Contacting Kara Heatherly at kara.heatherly@whitworthian.com.
Women’s soccer finished
Pirates’ season ends abruptly without a bid to the NCAA Division III tournament
Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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