The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown
Seniors Maddie Allen (above) and Gisenia Utreras (below) played their final home game this past weekend at Strawberry Stadium in the rain.
The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown
Senior Night can be a bittersweet game for senior athletes; it is the mark of the near end of their college career.
On Friday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m. the Lady Lions soccer team took on Central Arkansas for their 2015 Senior Night. Seniors included Cheyenne Maxwell, Maddie Allen, Kayla Vera, Gisenia Utreras and Megan Simon.
The Lady Lions won with a score of 1-0, and their only goal was made by sophomore midfielder Ana Zadro, who was assisted by junior forward Bri Singh.
“I think Hope Sabadash had a great day in goal,” said Head Coach Blake Hornbuckle. “I’m really pleased with her efforts.[Sophomore center midfielder] Maddie Kresevic had a good day in the back and in the midfield. I also thought that [sophomore midfielder] Maggie Ramsey was a big presence on the field today.”
Hornbuckle will miss his seniors once they graduate and has high hopes for their futures.
“I hope they end up with productive opportunities,” said Hornbuckle. “They’ve worked extremely hard with their time, and they have really grown and developed as people as well, which is a big part of the process.”
Senior defender Maddie Allen thought Senior Night was a special game and that it will be a game she will look back on in the future.
“This night was pretty special,” said Allen. “I will remember this forever. Out of all the games, this one will really stand out. Our team gave us a lot of stuff to remember it by.”
The memories these seniors have will live on, and they will remember their favorite moments and smile. All the seniors agreed they will definitely miss their teammates the most. Senior midfielder Cheyenne Maxwell will not only miss her teammates individually but also the time spent with them.
“My favorite memory was winning the conference tournament and going to the NCAA tournament,” said Maxwell. “I will miss my teammates the most and the long bus rides, being with each other every 24 hours and preseason and just everything about it.”
Senior forward Kayla Vera said she and her senior teammates have really grown up together, and from the start, they have helped each other out along the way.
“From day one, we kind of stuck together and really matured as a group,” said Vera.
Seniors can be seen as role models for the underclassmen. The underclassmen look up to the seniors and are inspired to be just as hard working as they are. Senior midfielder Gisenia Utreras wishes for the team to continue to stay strong once they leave.
“Stay positive and work with each other,” said Utreras.
Some final advice from Vera to her teammates who are staying behind is to stay passionate and keep working hard.
“Keep your passion for the game,” said Vera. “Don’t stop working hard and don’t stop giving 100 percent at any moment, because it will be over before you know it.”
On Sunday, October 25, the team took on Northwestern State and finished tied at 1-1 in their final home game of the season.
The team will take on Nicholls State on Friday, October 30 for their final game of the season.