SE: K-State Soccer Seniors Set Program Up for Successful Future
Oct 28, 2019 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Tears followed screaming, jumping and awing as the K-State women's soccer team soaked up its first experience inside the Buser Family Park facility on Friday evening.
For most of the Wildcats, it signified the beginning of a new era. One with their own facility, and theirs alone, a rarity in women's soccer around the Big 12. But for K-State's five seniors — Katie Cramer, Aly Rocha, Ashley Zane, Laramie Hall and Emma Malsy — it signaled that the end of their time in the program was near.
On Sunday, before a 3-0 Senior Day loss to West Virginia, they walked out of that locker room for the first and last time in front of their fans. On Thursday, they will play their last game in a K-State uniform, a road match against Texas Tech to close the regular season.
All of it has been a lot to take in for these seniors. Four of them have been at K-State since 2016, the program's first season. Malsy, the lone exception, arrived in 2017 as a transfer.
Together, they have given a lot. All for a program started from scratch, them being some of its first ingredients.
They have seen even more. Adversity, heart-aching losses, some unforgettable wins. The list goes on and on. More important than any of it: Change. From start to finish, these seniors lifted the program to new heights, with the momentum and pieces in place to continue that trajectory.
Their memories of K-State are filled with moments they feel like indicate a bright future for the program. Times off the field, like the shared excitement of taking in their new facility for the first time, as well as on the field, in ways that may seem obvious and others that do not.
Malsy, for instance, brought up last season's home finale, a 2-1 loss to TCU. K-State trailed 1-0 early but responded in the second half to tie it. It was the first time the team had fallen behind a Big 12 opponent and tied it back up.
It was a loss, but it was a step.
"It demonstrated to each one of us that, despite a score deficit, we were still capable of creating chances," Malsy said, "and fighting our way back into a game."
This season, K-State broke through in such a game against Iowa State. Down 1-0 in the 29th minute, the Wildcats answered with a pair of second-half scores from junior Brookelynn Entz to win.
Rocha pointed to a precursor to the Iowa State breakthrough. Against Gonzaga, now 10-5-1 and No. 62 in the latest RPI, K-State twice overcame one-goal deficits to send the match to overtime, where a second unfortunate penalty kick led to a 3-2 loss.
This, she said, reassured her that "the future is bright" for the program.
Even before that, there were strong signs. Rocha recalled the team's first exhibition this season against Arkansas. The Wildcats tied the Razorbacks, now No. 6 in the NCAA, 3-3. In 2016, K-State played against Arkansas in an exhibition and did not even get three shots off.
"That made me realize this program is shooting in the right direction," Rocha said. "I saw the potential each player had and the desire to not give up on any plays and do whatever it takes to win."
Cramer echoed those moments, as well as a few others, such as shutting out Baylor for more than 100 minutes in a double-overtime loss.
Or, the team's weekend in Oklahoma. K-State twice held a lead against Oklahoma in another overtime loss. Against No. 25 Oklahoma State, Cramer scored the game's first goal and K-State out possessed the Cowgirls in a 2-1 loss — one of seven one-goal losses this season.
"I know this program's future is going to be bright because when we take the field, we play real soccer. We compete with every single team we go up against. We take Big 12 ranked teams into overtime or up to the final minutes. We out-shoot and out-possess them," Cramer said. "My first couple years here, I only remember playing to, hopefully, not lose. Though understandable for a first-year program, we weren't a cohesive unit that we saw among other teams we played. Now, we play to win. Every single girl goes into the game knowing we can win, and it shows. We are a cohesive unit and we have our own swagger."
That swagger, Hall said, comes from a newfound cohesiveness, sparked by a culture shift. This senior group led that change. The positive effects from it have been evident in a number of ways, but Hall said one specific moment exhibited it best.
"This year, at a random practice we were messing around, we were messing around before it started and ended up having a rock, paper, scissors tournament and supporting whoever beat you. So, the whole team was split in supporting the final two girls and it was hilarious and so fun," Hall said. "I say that example because, even though it seems insignificant from the outside looking in, that never would have happened in the first few years. As a program we have gotten to the point of being comfortable with each other, on and off the field, to the point that there is true trust and friendship that allows for the most fun and the deepest level of effort and fight not just for ourselves but for the girls next to us. This program has grown from 35 separate players to a sisterhood."
Cramer and Zane agreed.
"The biggest indicator for this team's future? Culture," Cramer said. "We have each other's backs, on and off the field. We not only like each other but we love each other, and we are all invested in this program and what it's about. Whether it's chasing down a player when our teammate loses the ball on the field or being a supportive friend when dealing with life's struggles off the field, we have it. I trust that the leaders to come for this program will continue to grow this aspect and the soccer will continue to follow."
"Seeing the culture do a 180 gives me complete confidence that this program is headed in the right direction," Zane added. "I have no doubt in my mind that when we start winning, it's going to continue. It's only a matter of time, and I'm excited to see the success of this program. I am very thankful to have been a part of the very start."
Now that their end is near, it's hard not to reflect on the journey and the impact it had on them.
Hard work turned into a habit. Resilience became second nature. Self-worth started becoming measured in ways statistics and scoreboards could not. High character carried positive progress.
"Getting through adversity is only the beginning of something great," Rocha said as a summary.
The seniors all experienced a little something great during their time at K-State.
Rocha started her career with a torn ACL as a freshman and ended it as a regular starter the last two seasons in K-State's backline. Zane scored the program's first Big 12 goal in 2017 and has notched a pair of game-winners in her career. Cramer assisted the game-winning goal against Kansas in the first soccer Sunflower Showdown two seasons ago. Malsy recorded a school-record six shutouts last season. Hall headed in a game-tying goal with four seconds left in regulation against Gonzaga this season, arguably the program's most exciting moment ever in a home match.
Those moments and achievements will be forever etched into the program's history. But it only scratches the surface of what these five seniors said they will miss about K-State.
The rest is filled with things like the road trips with bus rides where teammates used one another as pillows; the K-State crowds they played in front of, including a loyal and passionate student section dubbed the Cats Den; and the grind, made enjoyable by strength and conditioning coach Danny Cavender.
"I've never felt a strength coach believe in me, personally, and us as a team more than him. He pours his heart and soul into this team and, even though we've come close to near-death experiences with his workouts," Cramer said, laughing. "I'll always miss his undying determination and relentless will to make us a better squad. I'm also going to miss the atmosphere the K-State family provides us with each game. Even as we haven't had winning records, they always show up for us and it is always an honor to play in front of them and represent them on the jersey I wore."
Despite their record, all of the seniors said the chance to build something from the ground up was one they would do 100 times over. They will leave a program completely different than they found it, with a first-class facility to go with it now.
Who else can say that?
"If someone would have told me my junior year of high school that committing to play at K-State would mean having a four-year record of 17-44-8, I would still choose this program every time," Hall said. "It has a special place in my heart, and it's impacted me as a person in the best way.
"I wouldn't change anything."
Tears followed screaming, jumping and awing as the K-State women's soccer team soaked up its first experience inside the Buser Family Park facility on Friday evening.
For most of the Wildcats, it signified the beginning of a new era. One with their own facility, and theirs alone, a rarity in women's soccer around the Big 12. But for K-State's five seniors — Katie Cramer, Aly Rocha, Ashley Zane, Laramie Hall and Emma Malsy — it signaled that the end of their time in the program was near.
On Sunday, before a 3-0 Senior Day loss to West Virginia, they walked out of that locker room for the first and last time in front of their fans. On Thursday, they will play their last game in a K-State uniform, a road match against Texas Tech to close the regular season.
All of it has been a lot to take in for these seniors. Four of them have been at K-State since 2016, the program's first season. Malsy, the lone exception, arrived in 2017 as a transfer.
Together, they have given a lot. All for a program started from scratch, them being some of its first ingredients.
They have seen even more. Adversity, heart-aching losses, some unforgettable wins. The list goes on and on. More important than any of it: Change. From start to finish, these seniors lifted the program to new heights, with the momentum and pieces in place to continue that trajectory.
Their memories of K-State are filled with moments they feel like indicate a bright future for the program. Times off the field, like the shared excitement of taking in their new facility for the first time, as well as on the field, in ways that may seem obvious and others that do not.
It brings that feeling of family even closer.
— K-State Soccer (@KStateSOC) October 27, 2019
Our new ?? is amazing.#KStateSOC ?? #CCMF19 pic.twitter.com/lJ0iH7Q13J
Malsy, for instance, brought up last season's home finale, a 2-1 loss to TCU. K-State trailed 1-0 early but responded in the second half to tie it. It was the first time the team had fallen behind a Big 12 opponent and tied it back up.
It was a loss, but it was a step.
"It demonstrated to each one of us that, despite a score deficit, we were still capable of creating chances," Malsy said, "and fighting our way back into a game."
This season, K-State broke through in such a game against Iowa State. Down 1-0 in the 29th minute, the Wildcats answered with a pair of second-half scores from junior Brookelynn Entz to win.
Rocha pointed to a precursor to the Iowa State breakthrough. Against Gonzaga, now 10-5-1 and No. 62 in the latest RPI, K-State twice overcame one-goal deficits to send the match to overtime, where a second unfortunate penalty kick led to a 3-2 loss.
This, she said, reassured her that "the future is bright" for the program.
Even before that, there were strong signs. Rocha recalled the team's first exhibition this season against Arkansas. The Wildcats tied the Razorbacks, now No. 6 in the NCAA, 3-3. In 2016, K-State played against Arkansas in an exhibition and did not even get three shots off.
"That made me realize this program is shooting in the right direction," Rocha said. "I saw the potential each player had and the desire to not give up on any plays and do whatever it takes to win."
Cramer echoed those moments, as well as a few others, such as shutting out Baylor for more than 100 minutes in a double-overtime loss.
Or, the team's weekend in Oklahoma. K-State twice held a lead against Oklahoma in another overtime loss. Against No. 25 Oklahoma State, Cramer scored the game's first goal and K-State out possessed the Cowgirls in a 2-1 loss — one of seven one-goal losses this season.
"I know this program's future is going to be bright because when we take the field, we play real soccer. We compete with every single team we go up against. We take Big 12 ranked teams into overtime or up to the final minutes. We out-shoot and out-possess them," Cramer said. "My first couple years here, I only remember playing to, hopefully, not lose. Though understandable for a first-year program, we weren't a cohesive unit that we saw among other teams we played. Now, we play to win. Every single girl goes into the game knowing we can win, and it shows. We are a cohesive unit and we have our own swagger."
Family forever.
— K-State Soccer (@KStateSOC) October 27, 2019
????#KStateSOC pic.twitter.com/HVzwNiS7oy
That swagger, Hall said, comes from a newfound cohesiveness, sparked by a culture shift. This senior group led that change. The positive effects from it have been evident in a number of ways, but Hall said one specific moment exhibited it best.
"This year, at a random practice we were messing around, we were messing around before it started and ended up having a rock, paper, scissors tournament and supporting whoever beat you. So, the whole team was split in supporting the final two girls and it was hilarious and so fun," Hall said. "I say that example because, even though it seems insignificant from the outside looking in, that never would have happened in the first few years. As a program we have gotten to the point of being comfortable with each other, on and off the field, to the point that there is true trust and friendship that allows for the most fun and the deepest level of effort and fight not just for ourselves but for the girls next to us. This program has grown from 35 separate players to a sisterhood."
Cramer and Zane agreed.
"The biggest indicator for this team's future? Culture," Cramer said. "We have each other's backs, on and off the field. We not only like each other but we love each other, and we are all invested in this program and what it's about. Whether it's chasing down a player when our teammate loses the ball on the field or being a supportive friend when dealing with life's struggles off the field, we have it. I trust that the leaders to come for this program will continue to grow this aspect and the soccer will continue to follow."
"Seeing the culture do a 180 gives me complete confidence that this program is headed in the right direction," Zane added. "I have no doubt in my mind that when we start winning, it's going to continue. It's only a matter of time, and I'm excited to see the success of this program. I am very thankful to have been a part of the very start."
Now that their end is near, it's hard not to reflect on the journey and the impact it had on them.
Hard work turned into a habit. Resilience became second nature. Self-worth started becoming measured in ways statistics and scoreboards could not. High character carried positive progress.
"Getting through adversity is only the beginning of something great," Rocha said as a summary.
The seniors all experienced a little something great during their time at K-State.
Rocha started her career with a torn ACL as a freshman and ended it as a regular starter the last two seasons in K-State's backline. Zane scored the program's first Big 12 goal in 2017 and has notched a pair of game-winners in her career. Cramer assisted the game-winning goal against Kansas in the first soccer Sunflower Showdown two seasons ago. Malsy recorded a school-record six shutouts last season. Hall headed in a game-tying goal with four seconds left in regulation against Gonzaga this season, arguably the program's most exciting moment ever in a home match.
Those moments and achievements will be forever etched into the program's history. But it only scratches the surface of what these five seniors said they will miss about K-State.
A lifetime of memories, thank you seniors. #KStateSOC ?? #CCMF19 pic.twitter.com/Kkp58iZl41
— K-State Soccer (@KStateSOC) October 27, 2019
The rest is filled with things like the road trips with bus rides where teammates used one another as pillows; the K-State crowds they played in front of, including a loyal and passionate student section dubbed the Cats Den; and the grind, made enjoyable by strength and conditioning coach Danny Cavender.
"I've never felt a strength coach believe in me, personally, and us as a team more than him. He pours his heart and soul into this team and, even though we've come close to near-death experiences with his workouts," Cramer said, laughing. "I'll always miss his undying determination and relentless will to make us a better squad. I'm also going to miss the atmosphere the K-State family provides us with each game. Even as we haven't had winning records, they always show up for us and it is always an honor to play in front of them and represent them on the jersey I wore."
Despite their record, all of the seniors said the chance to build something from the ground up was one they would do 100 times over. They will leave a program completely different than they found it, with a first-class facility to go with it now.
Who else can say that?
"If someone would have told me my junior year of high school that committing to play at K-State would mean having a four-year record of 17-44-8, I would still choose this program every time," Hall said. "It has a special place in my heart, and it's impacted me as a person in the best way.
"I wouldn't change anything."
Players Mentioned
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