On Sunday Oct. 15, 29 members of the women’s soccer program stepped foot on the field at the beginning of the teams’ warm up preparing to commemorate the seven seniors on the team.

Each senior has been a part of the women’s soccer program since their freshmen year at Spring Hill College.  Family and friends surrounded the soccer field cheering on the team and their favorite Badger against Mississippi College on Library Field.

Senior, Rebecca Roth, was nostalgic after Sunday’s game. Roth reminisced about her four years playing soccer at SHC and thought about what she would say to her freshman self, “Don’t focus on winning all the time but focus more on having fun with the sport that I love and the friends that I’ve made.”

For many of the seniors, the game that Sunday was more than winning. Captain, Aiesha Ledda, said, “Looking back on the last four years, the most impactful moment for me was being a part of a team that underwent many challenges, but fought together to become the resilient players we are today. I will carry these experiences and our memories with me throughout my lifetime, and always cherish time here as a student athlete.”

The senior game and ceremony was a little different for one senior. Shannon Gleespen tore her ACL and lateral meniscus on April 8, and had surgery to reconstruct and repair both in May. Recently she was cleared to run and jump in controlled settings for small increments of time.

“I put on my jersey and looked at myself in the mirror and it hit me that this was my last time wearing my lucky number. I was a mess to say the least prior to the game but as soon as we took the step on the field together everything went away,” Gleespen said.

Gleespen was supported by her older brother.

“During the ceremony my brother walked me out and a lot of our friends and alumni were there and I was all smiles. It really meant a lot that so many people showed up to support us. I may not have participated in senior game the way I always dreamed of but I did what I could to be a good teammate and enjoyed everyone,” Gleespen said.

The Badgers have four more games left, two of which are at home on Library Field before the seven seniors hang up their cleats.