Last year, I had the opportunity to write about what I thought was going to be my senior year at Robert Morris University. I used that opportunity to reflect on my past years here at RMU—what was my most memorable moments with the women’s soccer team, my thoughts and what I was feeling knowing it was my last season.

I spoke my peace not knowing whether I would take my fifth year of eligibility. Now, I’d like to say using that fifth year was a “victory lap.”

In the past years I’ve had at our university soccer–wise, I have had many ups and downs. Our program had winning seasons, and we’ve also felt the sting of losing seasons.

This season was thought to be another winning season, coming off a booming last one; however, I feel it turned out to be more of a growing season. With ten freshmen and only three seniors, our team was predominantly young.

It’s tough to mesh with such a young group—all of which, individually, have different styles of play. It’s safe to say that this season was the toughest that I’ve had mentally.

With that being said, our record does not reflect our play. At the same time, teams can’t win soccer games if they don’t score goals, and scoring goals this year was a struggle for our girls.

You might be asking, “I thought she called this year a victory lap? How is it a victory lap if they aren’t winning?”

I say it’s a victory lap because I feel victory from this season in other ways than winning on the soccer field. I feel victory because I’ve had a great run at RMU. I’ve met unbelievable people, had unreal teammates and made unforgettable friends.

This year, I got ten new sisters. Sisters that have made me smile a thousand times and sisters that I’ve wanted to wring their necks. But in the end, they are sisters that I hope to always have in my life.

I said earlier that this year could be looked at as a growing season. I meant that as on the field as well as off. It was a growing season for my ten little nuggets and also for myself.

Lucky and appreciative are two words that describe how I feel about my past five years representing our university, and I’ll always be proud to say that I was a part of the Robert Morris University women’s soccer program.