The season came to an end for the Sacramento State women’s soccer team in the Big Sky playoffs, but what the team accomplished is still fresh in the minds of all the players and coaches.

The Hornets ended the season with a mark of 8-8-3, the team’s best record since 2000. The team also was able to pull off an amazing 4-1-1 conference record.

Pretty good for a team picked last by the coaches before the season started.

The No. 2 seed Hornets took on the No. 3 seed Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in the first round of the four-team tournament Nov. 3. The first meeting between the two teams resulted in a 2-1 win for the Hornets on Oct. 16 at home.

In the 15th minute Lumberjacks forward Stefanie Smith scored a goal off an assist from Kaitlyn Baum to give NAU a 1-0 lead. Just eight minutes later the Lumberjacks scored again. This time it was Lumberjacks leading scorer Cee Cee Odorfer firing one in off an assist from Lisa Van Gorder. In the 38th minute the Hornets got on the board when Hornets freshman Sarah Howard headed in a shot off a free kick by forward Katie McCoy. McCoy was given the assist. The 2-1 halftime lead for Northern Arizona held up the rest of the game.

Despite the loss Hornets players were optimistic about the game. Howard, the only Hornets player to be named to the all-tournament team for her goal, said “(Northern Arizona) capitalized on the mistakes we made. We had our chances but we could not put them away.” Senior defender Marissa Condren agreed with Howard’s assessment. “I don’t think they played any better than we did. It just worked out for them,” Condren said.

The loss was the last game for Condren, who admitted the experience was very tough. Condren said she and teammate Katie Burton shared an emotional moment after the game. “I walked up to her and we just embraced each other and cried together,” Condren said. Condren foresees big things for the team next year in her absence. “I am excited to see how they do and I will guarantee a conference championship next year,” Condren said.

In regards to being picked to finish last before the season, the players did not buy into that for a second. Said Hornets freshman Kara Taylor, winner of the Big Sky co-Defensive Player of the Year award, “Getting to the conference (tournament) was an expectation we had since the very beginning. We proved people wrong and we accomplished what we knew we were capable of.” Added forward Kelly Novak, “I knew how good this team was.” Novak promised retribution for the tournament loss. “It was a lucky game for NAU, but we will take it to them next season,” Novak said.

The biggest holes that need to be filled for next season are the two defender spots now vacated by seniors Mandi Siller and Condren. “Next year will be hard without our great seniors, but we have some good freshmen coming in,” Howard said. The game also marked the final game for seniors Courtney Gorham, Linda Sanchez, Megan Frost and Amber Dragomir. The young apprentice Taylor is putting the rest of the Big Sky conference on notice, “Our seniors will be very hard to replace but we will overcome that challenge and get pretty little rings upon our fingers,” Taylor said.

Northern Arizona would go on to lose in the championship game to host Weber State 4-1. That does not really matter, however. All that really matters to the players is the great time they had this year disproving their doubters. “Every game it was a pleasure to fight and battle for my teammates knowing they were out there doing the same for me,” Condren said. “This loss will fade from my mind, but moments like these have meant so much to me.”

Not a bad season for a team that started the year as an afterthought. “We proved that we aren’t going to be ranked last next year,” freshman goalie Jenny Lawrence said. Even if they are, the team will just have to prove them wrong again.

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Benn Hodapp can be reached at [email protected]