By Heather Monahan
Features Editor
After going 0-3 to start off conference play, the St. Bonaventure women’s soccer team has all but booked its sixth-consecutive ticket to the Atlantic 10 postseason tournament.
The Bonnies (7-8-1) are tied for third place with George Mason (7-8-1) after bringing in six more points last weekend at home, extending their win streak to four games.
“I think that we got off to a little bit of a rough start, but I think we’re actually starting to peak now,” senior goalkeeper Megan Junker said. “Everyone’s working their butts off. It’s awesome.”
Though this will be the team’s sixth year in a row with an A-10 tournament bid, it’s the first time under Steve Brdarski, who took over the head coaching position earlier this year.
“When you come into a new setting, you still honor the traditions and the people who have come before you,” Brdarski said. “So it’s very important that we continue that success because I think the alumni expect it from us. And for the girls, that’s one of the things they play for — the alumni.”
Sophomore forward Lauren Hill said despite the rough start, she’s had faith in her team.
“I knew we were a really good team, but we just were struggling to get a roll on,” Hill said. “We finally got it, and we’re going to keep going.”
According to junior forward/midfielder Caitlin MacConnell, the team has played well throughout the season, despite its earlier results.
“We got a little unlucky with the first few games, but we still played very well,” MacConnell said. “We just couldn’t finish our chances.”
Brdarski said the coaching staff is proud of the girls and the resilience they’ve shown.
“They never thought about Plan B or Plan C,” he said. “They stuck to who they were and played some great soccer and scored some great goals these past four games.”
While the Bonnies are sitting comfortably in the tie for third in A-10 standings, Brdarski said they’re not concerned about what place they’re in. They’re more concerned about the next game.
“If you’re always winning the next game, that means there’s going to be another game to play for,” he said. “So we’re not about what place we’re going to finish or anything like that. We’re about doing the best we can, performing well, playing our best soccer and grinding out some results.”
There’s no doubt the Bonnies earned these results last weekend.
The Bonnies battled La Salle last Friday until the very end. Eventually, the Explorers found the back of the goal first in the game’s last 10 minutes. Shortly after, Hill and junior forward Molly Curry each snagged goals to ultimately give the Bonnies the 2-1 victory.
Just two days later, Hill showed some heroics again as the Bonnies welcomed the St. Joseph’s Hawks to McGraw-Jennings field. She scored the winning goal with less than five minutes left in the second overtime, securing a 3-2 win.
Her success this past weekend earned Hill A-10 player of the week honors, but Brdarski said she’s been a great asset to the team all season.
“She’s got the heart and that character to never give up, to continue to keep fighting,” Brdarski said. “It’s a byproduct of her hard work and her heart. She’s been great for us all season long, so it’s great to see her be rewarded for that.”
In terms of her achievement, Hill is more focused on the team.
“It feels really good (to be honored),” she said. “I’m happy about the team, though. We’ve been playing really great.”
