A penalty shootout spelled the end for the NYU women\u2019s soccer team this season, handing the Violets an unexpected first-round exit in the NCAA Division III tournament.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWalking up to that line, they had four [shootout goals], we had three,\u201d senior midfielder and captain Rena Kalargiros told WSN about the team\u2019s Nov. 15 game<\/a> against Wesleyan University. \u201cI practiced what I was gonna do a million times that week, and it just hit off the crossbar, and I was in shock for a moment. It didn\u2019t really process to me, what had just happened.\u201d<\/p>\n After a tumultuous fall season that ended in a 9-4-6 record, the team is relying on its tight bond to push through the loss and onto the next year, along with head coach Scott Waddell\u2019s mentality for what makes a successful game \u2014 putting in effort, supporting each other and having fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even before they hit the field, the Violets had heavy shoes to fill \u2014 12 seniors graduated after last season, including seven starters and the program\u2019s all-time leading scorer, Kelli Keady<\/a>. Taking their place were 13 new members, made up of eight first-years and five transfer students.\u00a0<\/p>\n The team took to the challenge of a new roster with ease, securing a 6-0 road win<\/a> against Mount Saint Mary College in its first game back. The following 10 matches improved the Violets to an 8-2-1 record heading into the stretch of conference games that made up the back half of the season.<\/p>\n The first-years, guided by the team\u2019s senior members, didn\u2019t shy away from the competitive landscape of collegiate athletics.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we meshed pretty well,\u201d first-year goalkeeper Maddy Tohanczyn said. \u201cAt some points, we had up to four freshmen consistently playing or starting. We definitely contributed our part, and the team was so welcoming and made it that much easier to mesh with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the team\u2019s early wins was a staggering 11-0 shutout<\/a> against John Jay College. Junior midfielder and transfer from Fordham University Sari Frankl scored a hat trick, her only one of the season, and junior forward from the University of Miami Sonia Neighbors<\/a> made two goals and assisted on a third. John Jay managed just one shot in the entire game, suffering its second loss of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Violets\u2019 momentum halted to a stop when UAA play began in early October. NYU faced a foreboding schedule \u2014 as of the Sept. 30 United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, the last before NYU faced off against its first conference opponent, all eight members were ranked in the top 25. NYU was last on the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe UAA is, without a doubt, the most competitive conference,\u201d Waddell told WSN. \u201cSometimes the margins are very thin. We just try to focus on working as hard as we can, and keep moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Opening UAA competition with a 3-2 loss<\/a> against the University of Chicago, the Violets stayed competitive through the game, earning five shots on goal, and sophomore goalkeeper Mia Capo\u2019s four saves kept it close in Chicago.\u00a0<\/p>\n NYU\u2019s toughest matchup<\/a> was against the No. 1-ranked Washington University in St. Louis, which held the Violets to just three shots. The team ultimately lost 3-1, but made the few attempts count, finding a way to score against WashU\u2019s overpowering defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOnce you reach UAA, you start to realize that you just have to take the loss \u2014 you learn what you can, and you move to the next game and you do even better,\u201d Tohanczyn said. \u201cThat helped us at least make it through 110 minutes against Wesleyan, which I don\u2019t think we would have at the beginning of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n The team\u2019s sole win<\/a> during UAA play came against Carnegie Mellon University. Despite the fact that the Tartans outshot the Violets 17-4, none of the attempts landed. NYU, on the other hand, capitalized on both its shots on goal to claim a victory on the home field.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe program is resilient by nature,\u201d Waddell said. \u201cThings don\u2019t always go our way, and that\u2019s just a part of our journey. We\u2019ve always focused on trying to be the best every single day, and working really, really hard and controlling the things that we can control.\u201d<\/p>\n