The women’s soccer team left it all on the field Saturday in their final game of the season. They lost the game to Keene state 3-0. Their overall record for the year ends up 2-16-1, and 0-7 in the Little East Conference.

The game was a testament to the ferocity of the UMass squad. It encapsulated the energy and aggression that the team had displayed all season. On top of that they once again played an entire game with only ten players, this time against a team twenty-six players strong.

Goalkeeper Kristen Bowes played great in net in the first half, allowing only one goal. She came up with an amazing 50 saves in a little under 70 minutes of action in goal. Senior Nicole Alfano put in a good effort as she played in her last game for the Beacons; the co-captain and consummate team player will be missed.

Bowes had two tremendous saves in the first half aside from several good stops. The first was a shot that bounced off the crossbar back to a Keene State Owl, who attempted to put a quick shot under her. Bowes reacted with lightning speed and stopped an almost sure goal.

Her second save was more astounding. The shot came from the left corner of the box and Bowes was in position to save it, however it deflected off of a UMB player only a few yards away. Displaying her true goalie instincts, she grasped the deflection denying a certain rebound shot.

In the second half, the second Keene State goal slipped past of Bowes’ reach, putting the score at 2-0, Meghan Cyr got the nod from Gretchen Randall to take over in net. Bowes moved up to defense and Cyr played solidly and assertively for the remainder of the game, allowing only one goal in the final 21 minutes of the game.

At the half, the frustration of Keene State was palpable, they were bewildered as to how any team could withstand the almost 3-1 differential in players and the extra player that Keene State had on the field. What they could not fathom was the depth of the Beacons heart. In a team less dedicated to one another this game almost certainly would have been a white flag of surrender.

UMB played strong, they did not let up after any of the three goals Keene State scored and no one packed it in the closing minutes. One important reason why the game was so close was the play of Kristen Bowes, but this was not a one-person team, this was a game that all ten players should be proud of.