Through Nov. 12-14, I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the 2025 women’s soccer NCAA tournament where only 64 out of 351 schools get to be a part of. After winning the America East championship in Vermont on Nov. 9 and securing an automatic bid into the tournament, we gathered the next day to see our first-round draw in the selection show. Unlike last year where we had an idea of where we could be going on the east coast, Maine was this year’s “wild card,” meaning we could travel anywhere to any team. We ended up drawing the seventh-seeded University of Central Florida (UCF), half the team excited to finally get warm weather.
We set out to Orlando two days later on a chartered flight, a luxury I will probably never experience again. We left early in the morning so we would have lots of time to get settled into the hotel and have the opportunity to train there to get used to a grass pitch. Once we landed and arrived at the hotel, we had lots of free time before training that everyone used to do homework. I was now going to miss two weeks of class due to our travels to the semi-finals in Binghamton and immediately to Vermont right after for the finals. Although I wanted to soak up the Florida sun, I knew I would be thanking myself later if I got homework done.
After this down time we got on the bus to head to campus for training. UCF holds 70,000 students, compared to the 12,000 that attend UMaine. So, this campus was huge, as you would expect. The athletics side was like a mini village just for athletes with athlete dorms and a free cafeteria designated just for them. I was mostly looking forward to what the game field was like
since I love playing on grass instead of turf that I had been playing on this whole season. The soccer stadium and facilities were beautiful — we were given a locker room in the football stadium meant to hold 50 people, and the grass on the pitch was cut to perfection. Our training consisted of getting our legs moving again and focusing on switching the ball in behind defenders, which was a key to the game. After that, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and more homework.
Thursday, the day before the game, we had training again in the morning on the game field and did our pre game ritual of rondos and scrimmaging. After training, we did a scouting report at the hotel to know the key players of the game and how to exploit them, as well as ways we can press and strategies to be the best we can be. Once these tactics were explained, we headed out early to dinner at an incredible steakhouse in downtown Orlando. It was great to spend time with the team before a big game to take our mind off of things and stay present in each other’s company. It is these times that I enjoy and will remember the most.
The day of the game finally came, but it was not until 7 p.m. I tend to like the earlier games more because now I have to wait anxiously until kick off. Luckily this time, I had a close friend and former roommate that plays on UCF. I spent the morning with her and was able to catch up on the two years we had not seen each other, and she gave me a tour of the campus and soccer facilities, which was all jaw dropping to see. I feel so lucky that soccer has brought me lifelong friends I can see all over the world, and it feels like no time has passed.
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, staying out of the sun, and doing anything to distract myself until game time. We left at 4 p.m to our locker room, where we listened to music, got dressed and got into game mode. It felt surreal to walk out and play at an NCAA tournament, something not a lot of people can say. I am honored that I got to be a part of this team, who overcame adversity all season and never gave up. Although the game resulted in a 2-0 loss, I will always be thankful for this experience, and that I’ve gotten to do it three times now. The 2025 season was special and filled with ups and downs, but we grew so much individually and as a team.
