~ WOMEN'S SOCCER he Lady Bison soccer team made school history when it qualified to play in the NCAA Division lJ National Tournament in Miami Shores, Fla. The Lady Bisons' 3-4 loss to Christian Brothers University in the GSC Championship finals Nov. 7 left team members hoping that they would still receive a bid to the national tournament. With an overall record of 15-4-1, the Lady Bisons had proved that they were a force to be reckoned with on the soc~ eer field. When the team heard the announcement that it was the number two seed from the South Region to participate, the women let out cheers, laughter and tears in celebration. "When we heard our named called, we all were screaming and leaping with joy," junior Melanie Goodson said. The team then quickly began to scramble to get their bags packed for the tournament. Members spent the next day traveling to Miami Shores, Fla., and then spent Wednesday relaxing. Unfortunately for the women, the University of Tampa beat the Lady Bisons 4-1 Nov. 11. The Lady Spartans took an early 3-0 lead after rattling off three goals in the first 18 minutes of play. "Tampa just had more experience than we did, and we started out slow," head coach Greg Harris said. "They had a strong program and had been through the tournament several times before. It wasn't that they were better than us, they were just better prepared mentally." Despite coming home earlier from the tournament than they had hoped, the team members said they were proud of their accomplishments this season. "We had so much fun," junior Julie Akins said. "I wish we could have gone farther than the first round, but our team accomplished so much. We have nothing to be ashamed or disappointed about." - ASHLEY KELLUM ATHLETICS - 280
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