By Heather Monahan
Assistant Features Editor
After an exciting last weekend of the regular season, the women’s soccer team (8-10-1) clinched a spot in the Atlantic 10 tournament for the fifth year in a row. The Bonnies entered the tournament as a five seed and played their first tournament game yesterday against fourth seeded Butler.
Head coach Manoj Khettry said the way they qualified for the tournament says a lot about the team and its character.
“I talked to the team after the game Sunday,” Khettry said. “I said, ‘If I told you that you had to win your last three games, and two, you’re going to have to win in the second overtime, one of them you’re going to have to win playing a goal down and a man down, and another you’re going to have to win after having been a goal down with less than 24 minutes left to play, what would you have said?’”
Khetty said the response from the team was one of disbelief.
“They all looked at me and said ‘Probably not going to happen,’ Khettry said. “And I told them ‘That is what we did.’ So you have to walk away from that and you have to understand that what you do is who you are and the character and the heart and the grit that we demonstrated, that’s who we are,”
Senior defender Shannon Van Riper also said their past few games proved a lot about the team.
“It really shows the heart and the compassion we have for one another,” Van Riper said. “If we didn’t have that as a team, we wouldn’t have been able to come back and pull through like we did. We all play for one another and that’s something that we’ve tried to do throughout the season so it’s quite a fitting way to end.”
Khettry said this proves his statement from earlier in the season that the Bonnies have a way of coming out fighting when they’re backed against the wall.
“When I’ve spoken to other coaches, they talk about how that’s when you know you have a successful culture, when your kids don’t buckle under pressure or when they have their backs against the wall,” Khettry said. “They understand and know what they have to do.”
While Bonaventure has a young team, Khettry said Rhode Island’s team is younger. One of the Bonnies’ seniors, midfielder Nicole Rosso, offered some words of advice to the team at halftime.
“Right before we went out at halftime, she spoke to the team,” Khettry said. “She said, ‘Listen, we can’t do anything about what’s already happened but we can do something about what the next 45 minutes look like. We’re not going to give up. Let’s give it everything we have and see how the half plays out.’ I thought that was great advice to give the team.”
Sophomore forward Molly Curry said the team’s refusal to quit is what ultimately led them to the tournament.
“It shows our character and how passionate we are about playing for each other,” she said. “We really just never give up because we know how bad we wanted to make it back to the A-10’s, and this is just how we had to do it.”
Curry scored the winning goal in the second overtime over Massachusetts on Friday and scored the first Bonnies goal against Rhode Island on Sunday. Her clutch goals kept the team in the running for the A-10 tournament and led to her being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week.
“It’s a nice accomplishment because Shannon (Van Riper) just got it like a month ago or so,” Curry said. “So to be put up there with her is quite a compliment in itself.”
Van Riper said she was thrilled for Curry and thought the sophomore really deserved it.
“Without her, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said. “She had three really crucial goals and she really stepped up and filled her role as a forward.”
Van Riper also was honored this week by being named to the All-Conference First Team.
“I’m not really a fan of personal recognition,”Van Riper said. “But just the fact that I can represent the team through that award is something special.”
Freshman forward Abby Maiello was also honored by the A-10 and named to the All-Rookie Team.
Khettry said he’s proud of all three players who gained recognition this week and that Van Riper is very deserving of the honor.
“Shannon’s the fifth player in a row that we’ve had first team,” Khettry said. “I think it’s long overdue for her. I think she’s been consistently the best player on our team.”
Maiello being named to the All-Rookie Team is a testament to the consistence she’s shown this season, Khettry said.
“Players who have been named all-rookie in the past have gone on to have really successful careers at Bonaventure,” Khettry said. “I’m excited for her.”
Khettry also said he’s happy for Curry being recognized by the A-10 and is impressed with her and fellow sophomore forward, Brittany Charles.
“She (Curry) scored three clutch goals down the stretch,” he said. “Brittany scored a goal against Xavier, got the winning assist, and got both assists against Rhode Island. Those two players, they’re able to produce.”
