Saint Mary’s defender Rachel Sunday fends off Fresno State’s Natalie
Harrington in Wednesday’s game at Bulldog Stadium. Harrington managed
to get one shot on goal and one assists as the Bulldogs fell to the
Gaels, 20-6, in their final home game of the season.
Esteban Cortez / The Collegian
Callie Seidman and Kasandra Martinson’s four years on the lacrosse team were met with winless droughts and changing winds ”” from a new coach to the departures of former teammates.
The pair of senior midfielders weathered tumultuous times, but were both honored before Wednesday’s home finale, a 20-6 loss against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opponent Saint Mary’s College, for their unparalleled commitment to the program.
Seidman and Martinson are the lone seniors to have been on the team since the program’s 2009 inaugural season.
“This experience has been about being passionate about the sport and about the team and about the program, and knowing where it started and where it is going to go and seeing it grow over the years,” Seidman said.
Both the Bulldogs (2-10, 0-6 MPSF) and the Gaels (3-10, 1-5 MPSF) entered the conference matchup winless in league play, and both needed a win to remain in the hunt for a conference tournament appearance.
The Gaels’ offense came out storming in the first half, scoring seven unanswered goals in the first 15 minutes.
After missed scoring opportunities and early passing woes, sophomore attacker Briana Hetherington spun around a Saint Mary’s defender, thrusting the ball past goalkeeper Kathleen Worsdale, to put the ‘Dogs on the board.
“I think we had opportunities to shoot that we didn’t put in the back of the net and just dropped passes in the midfield,” Fresno State coach Jessica Pausewang said.
Trailing 10-2 at the start of the second half, Seidman’s early back-to-back scores fueled a Fresno State four-goal streak that cut into Saint Mary’s lead.
But in the end, the Bulldogs’ 17 turnovers contributed to the Gaels maintaining possession of the ball for the majority of the game, and allowing their offense ”” led by former-Bulldog midfielders Amanda Cross and Rachel Minarovich’s seven combined goals ”” to score 10 unanswered to close the game.
“When we do things that let us beat ourselves versus another team it’s definitely going to contribute to a loss,” Pausewang said.
“It takes away from all the things we’ve been doing in practice and all the hard work that we’ve been putting in.”
Tuesday’s game marked the last time Seidman and Martinson would play before the home crowd.
“We’ve obviously faced a lot of adversity over the last four years; we went three years without a win,” Martinson said. “This year has been a great year and I am going to take all these friendships with me and never forget these memories.”
Their senior campaign, highlighted by the program’s first victory in its four-year history against Long Island, has been one built on improvement.
“Conceptually, they are a faster-paced team on the field. We’ve put together two wins. It isn’t enough for me but that was a huge improvement over the past years,” Pausewang said.
“We’re only four years old. I think it’s really important to recognize that. As we grow every year, we’ve shown improvement. I’m excited for the last game of the season.”
And as the season’s end draws nearer, Seidman reflected on her four-year experience and offered advice to incoming lacrosse players and her underclassmen teammates.
“Go out there everyday and give it everything you have. Four years go by fast,” she said.
The Bulldogs conclude their season Saturday at 4 p.m. at UC Davis, where they will face an Aggies squad rebounding off a 19-18 loss to Stanford.