The Lady Beacon’s 1-0 win last week over conference rival Framingham State wasn’t their best played win of the year, or their most dramatic, but there was still something special about it. True, the fact that with the win the Lady Beacons have recorded their highest season win total in a decade is certainly something to celebrate in most years, but this win was different.

Erika Marsters, at the 20:26 mark of the first half was the difference in giving the Lady Beacons their first in-conference win in the history of the program. Many of those who follow UMass-Boston sports are not up on the history of the women’s soccer program, but it is indeed true that on this fateful, October afternoon, this group of young athletes helped the women’s soccer program take a gigantic leap forward. Just three weeks ago the program recorded its first conference non-loss in a hard fought 0-0 tie against UMass-Dartmouth, and despite a 1-2 record over their last three games, were able to overcome recent history and win a game against a conference opponent.

As the final whistle sounded there were no explosions of confetti or loud music blaring over a PA system. There was no roaring crowd, as the game was played before a skeleton crew of friends, family and onlookers, and there were no breathless post-game interviews. While this win was celebrated like any other, its historical significance will forever mark the day that the Lady Beacons soccer program broke free from years of toiling in the shadows of its conference rivals.

That final whistle marked not only the end of a momentous win, but signaled to the rest of the conference that the Lady Beacons are here and they are a force to be reckoned with. It signaled that the hard work done by the athletic department in recruiting and hiring coaches has paid off. It signaled that the next page in UMB athletic history is about to be turned and a new chapter written. You might even call that whistle a Beacon. A Lady Beacon.