It was a hot day on Sunday, Nov. 6 as the Tigers ran onto Paul McGinlay Soccer Field to be greeted by a crowd of fellow students and parents ahead of the SCAC championship game against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs.

Soon after kickoff, the Tigers began to press hard in their attack. With 22:55 left in the first half, Josephine McCray, junior defensive midfielder, scored a header via a cross from sophomore forward Abby Schneider.

“I just wanted to contribute to a win today and we’re just going to do whatever it takes to get there,” McCray said.

And while this sentiment was echoed throughout the team, the game wasn’t over yet as the Bulldogs stopped several more attempts to score, keeping the score at 1-0 going into halftime.

Throughout the entire game, the Bulldogs put up a stalwart defense with five shots on target being blocked by the goalie. The Bulldogs also expertly forced a total of 13 fouls including a yellow card against Trinity in the first half of the game, proving their standing as the second-best team in the conference.

However, the Tigers’ aggressive pressure chipped away at the iron defense of the Bulldogs, until the cracks finally began to show in the last 30 minutes of the game. In the 63rd minute, senior forward Molly Sheridan scored a goal with an assist from senior center-back Bailey Meyer. Two goals soon followed, with first-year forward Hanna Khan scoring at the 74-minute mark and sophomore midfielder Maya Ozymy finding the net nine minutes later with both goals sealed by assists from senior midfielder Cassie Bowers.

At the end of the game, the tournament awards were revealed and the Tigers led the tournament field with four. Tigers selected for the SCAC all-tournament team included Sheridan and Meyer, as well as sophomore forward Michaela Bosco and sophomore goalkeeper Lauryn Lewis, who were recognized as the tournament’s offensive and defensive MVPs, respectively.

“It’s just an honor to be a part of such a strong team, we always bring the energy and tenacious Tiger spirit, and it’s just always been about the team for me,” Bosco said.

Her teammate, Lewis, stated a similar sentiment upon her reception of the award.

“It feels great. I love this team and they make me look so good, so it’s just nice to come out with a win and I’m excited for what is to come next,” Lewis said.

With the SCAC tournament over, the team next sets its sights on the NCAA tournament and prepares to face colleges and universities from across the country. Their first game in the NCAA tournament will be in the San Antonio first-round regional against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, this Saturday at 5 p.m. at Paul McGinlay Field. Many players already have their personal goals in place for the upcoming tournament.

“I’m looking forward to going into play and kind of shaking things up, and being dangerous by creating chances and getting goals, and see how far we get,” Bowers said.

Head coach Dylan Harrison agreed with his team on working for the competition. However, he also stated another goal for the team, one with which every coach and player agreed as they left the stadium and the sun set on both the day and the 2022 SCAC tournament.

“The season continues. It’s possible that this will be the last game for our senior class. We spend a lot of time together over the years so we commit to our gift, then to our seniors who gave so much to this program. We commit to them that we will try and keep this going as long as we can. So every game we win, we get to spend another week together, which means we get to spend another bus trip together or another flight together. That is what we really value as a community and really the group that we were able to stand close together with. It’s special.”