Acorn

After a 2-1 loss to Wilkes University in the final game of the season last Saturday, the Drew University women's soccer team bid farewell to six graduating seniors.

Forward captain Cait Mueller, forward Genie Valantassis, forward Emily Perks, midfielder Erin McNally, midfielder Gabbie Haenn and defender Alex Weber Reitz are moving on.

All six seniors were members of the team for four years and were looked up to as leaders and respected by the younger players.

'This senior class was a wonderful class because they truly all wanted to win for the sake of the team and the program,' Coach Christa Racine said. 'They were an unselfish group who strived to make everyone around them better.'

'I will definitely miss playing with all of the girls,' McNally said. 'The team is a huge part of my life, so it will be very difficult to leave that all behind. I made some of my best friends through Drew soccer and that is something that I will always appreciate.'

Likewise, Mueller said, 'I'm really going to miss my teammates. I couldn't ask for a better group of girls to play with, and without them I would not have been as successful as I was. I'll really miss them.'

Although the seniors find it difficult to conclude their Drew soccer careers, they have fond memories and accomplishments to reflect upon.

'One game that will always stand out for me was when we beat Scranton 2-1 in overtime last year,' McNally said. 'It was the first time Drew had beaten Scranton in seven years, so that was quite an accomplishment for us.'

'As I look back, one game I will always remember was the final game of the regular season last year,' Mueller said. 'We were losing 2-0 to Wilkes with 20 minutes remaining, and came back to win 3-2. I had the first goal, [midfielder sophomore] Caitlin McGrorry had the second and Emily Perks scored the winner. Even though we never won the final championship game, the memories were great.'

McNally is satisfied with her time spent playing Drew soccer.

'I think our team had a good run over my four years,' McNally said. 'Although the team never achieved its goal of winning the conference championship and reaching the NCAA tournament, I think we've set the foundation for future classes to have a good opportunity at obtaining that goal.'

Mueller found her way into the Drew record books as she worked hard to help her team achieve success. She is tied for third all-time in assists among Drew Rangers. 'I was really looking forward to breaking the record, but our season fell short,' Mueller said. 'This season was disappointing. However, my four years here were great,' Mueller said. 'When I look back, I won't remember the disappointments. Instead, I'll remember the accomplishments we had as a team and individually.'

While the season was not the team's best, McNally is not discouraged. 'I can't say that I wasn't upset and disappointed with the way our season ended,' McNally said.''I don't think, however, that we have anything to hang our heads about.'I'd like to remember my senior year team as a great group of girls who worked hard and had fun. The cards may not have fallen in our favor, but we showed our love for the game by persevering to the very end and playing with passion.

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