When your team loses a tight game, it can be a tough pill to swallow. But when you are the best team and you lose the one game you thought mattered, it can be almost impossible to believe.
This weekend, Notre Dame's women's soccer team lost a game that could have easily gone their way with one more break or one more call. Even though they lost, I cannot express how great of a team they are and how proud they make me to be a Domer. When Hockey won its first CCHA Championship, when Football went to two straight BCS Bowls, even when Women's Soccer appeared in the Finals two years ago - none of these compare to what this team has done.
This is a team that trailed less than five minutes the whole season featuring a starting lineup balanced between freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. When North Carolina scored the winning goal, these players did not give up. They worked hard until the last seconds - even apparently drawing a free kick that was never called. On the sidelines after the game as a couple of the players periodically returned to the benches you could see on their faces how much they had wanted that game, but they did not hang their heads. Nor should they.
The 2008 women's soccer team is easily the greatest team in any sport that I have seen in my four years at Notre Dame and they are a legend for this university. They have represented us well this year, not only by their play, but by their character and class. The best team does not always win and that was the case on Sunday. Even so, this team was just as great in defeat as they have been in victory.
Congratulations to Kerri, Brittany, Carrie, Elise, Rebecca, and Kerry for leading the 2008 Fighting Irish to a truly great season!
Justin Queen
senior
Keenan Hall
Dec. 8
