All In On and Off the Field
4/17/2020
CHICAGO – If there is one thing to be said about collegiate athletics, it’s about the excitement any season can bring along with the ups and downs, upsets and highlights of every season. And no program embodied that better than DePaul Women’s Soccer in 2019.
The Blue Demons didn’t get off to the best start losing three in a row, but those three matches allowed them to find their stride and grind out a 1-0 win against Dayton.
If DePaul had their ups and downs this season, the down came at the beginning. Junior midfielder Bina Saipi recognized the rough patch but said the team knew what they were capable of. They just had to overcome those first three games.
“What helped us grind through the beginning of our season was our Dayton game,” she said. “That was the test of whether we were going to turn around our season or let it slip away from us. Dayton was a tough competitor and that game was a complete mental grind, but we knew that if we got on the scoreboard first, we were going to get that win.
Once we got that win, the momentum was going to come through for the games to come. It’s not easy to lose three straight games, so when we finally got that result, we knew what we were capable of.
Junior forward Morgan Turner scored her first goal and game winner of the year over the Flyers. And Saipi was right, the momentum came through.
Next up for the Blue Demons was the Boilermaker Challenge Cup where they took down then-ranked No. 11 Kansas in a thrilling 1-0 match. Jade Eriksen-Russo took matters into her own hands just 30 seconds into the second half of the match breaking KU's four-game undefeated streak and marked DePaul's first win over a ranked team since 2016 with a 4-1 defeat of then- No. 7 Georgetown.
Speaking of Georgetown, DePaul handed the 14th-ranked Hoyas their first BIG EAST loss of the season in overtime as Turner's right footer went just inside the far post for a 1-0 victory at Wish Field.
That goal was Turner's eighth of the season en route to a team leading 10 goals, including six game winners.
Saipi remembers that game fondly.
“I also think that my favorite collegiate game has been getting the overtime win against Georgetown,” she said. “There was so much passion in that game and I just get chills when I watch Morgan’s goal or even think about it.”
In between those two wins, the Blue Demons managed to shutout Red-Line Rival Loyola 2-0 as well as Turner and standout freshman Kristin Boos netting their second goals of the season and sophomore goalkeeper Mollie Eriksson turning in her third clean sheet of the season.
Eriksson was a constant force in the net all season, playing every minute of every match while totaling 54 saves and nine shutouts. She recorded a goals against average of 0.91.
Then came the conference season home opener where DePaul took a 2-1 victory over Butler. Saipi said conference play was a turning point for the Blue Demons.
“It really turned out to be a one-of-a-kind season with historic wins against Kansas and Georgetown and putting up great fights and results against other tough competitors as well,” Saipi said.
“I think as a whole we really started peaking with our best play when we got to the conference portion of season when we were all committed to performing our best. Our coaches emphasize a lot that having a very difficult non-conference schedule is to prepare us for conference play, both physically and mentally. I really think it showed for how we came together to play our best soccer around that time.”
DePaul showed their true colors in a pair of 4-0 shutouts over BIG EAST opponents Seton Hall on Alumni Day and Marquette to close out the season.
At the conclusion of their conference season, the Blue Demons earned their eighth consecutive berth to the BIG EAST Tournament but fell to Villanova in the first round in a narrow 1-0 result.
Throughout the season, the Blue Demons were honored by the BIG EAST with multiple student-athletes landing on the Weekly Honor Roll alongside Eriksson earning Goalkeeper of the Week, Turner being named Offensive Player of the Week and redshirt junior defender Avery Hay earning Defensive Player of the Week.
Post-season, DePaul women’s soccer earned award after award. Turner was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, the United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-East Region Third Team and the USC Scholar All-North/Central Region First team. Hay earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team with freshman Kristin Boos. Boos was also named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team and the USC All-East Region Third team with Turner.
Overall, the end result of the 2019 season did not reflect the start they got off to, but rather how hard each individual athlete worked on and off the field.
Head coach Erin Chastain is most proud of her squad's effort that was prevalent throughout the season.
I am most proud of how our group came together as the season went on. We went into the year missing several key players and we had so many different young women step into roles and excel. We have exciting young players in our group and veteran leaders and I can't wait to see the growth when we step back onto the field.
When I think about our season as a whole, I’m going to remember the big moments, the big games, the big wins, the times where my teammates stepped up big time, and that our team was all in both on and off the field.
“I think what will stand out to me is how hard each individual worked, whether it was to get in shape to pass the beep test, to get a starting spot, to crush their rehab process, to get playing minutes - all of that hard work is something that I admire and that effort from my team will always stand out.”
As for now, the Blue Demons are full steam ahead awaiting next season. The squad will consist of eleven seniors and four newcomers. Saipi is one of those seniors looking forward to ending her career on a high note.
“I’m most looking forward to closing out my collegiate career on the highest note possible,” she said. “With the circumstances of the world today, a lot has been taken away from us and personally, I feel so motivated to get back with the group and start training and playing.
“This past winter, our group worked so hard and put ourselves in a great spot. I’m looking forward to playing my best soccer, enjoying every moment with those around me, and winning some big games and championships next season. I feel really ready for that and I am so excited for August to come around.”
