Like in life, the essence of a team is not only defined by its success, but also by how it responds to a challenge. For the Hamline University Women’s Soccer team, the season so far has been a test of resilience.
Currently, the Pipers stand at a 3–4–4 overall record and 1–3 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) record. While the team may find themselves in the middle of a season that has not gone their way, they are a team with a grit-first mentality, and know that adversity does not mean the end – it is a proving ground.
“Our season this far has been challenging and rewarding. Our team has pushed through some adversity but has stayed connected and committed towards our improvement as we head into our last month of the season,” junior midfielder Elysse Tanaka said via email.
As the Pipers deal with some adversity, they remain optimistic and determined to keep up the team dynamic and to stay level-headed.
“I think we are very strong with our team dynamic on and off the field, and being able to adapt to changes! We love pushing each other to the next level and being there to support everyone on their own path,” junior Kailey Boettcher said via email.
Boettcher shared examples of how the Pipers are incorporating team bonding activities both on and off the field to further strengthen the chemistry amongst themselves.
“For on the field, our coach likes to randomly do ‘fluff’ games at the beginning of practice. Some examples of fluff games are line tag, barnyard, steal the pennie, hula girls and Elvis.” Boettcher said via email. “With these games, it allows us to have fun and bond with our teammates! Outside of practice, we do a lot of team bonding! Our favorite team bonding this year was Sand Volleyball.”
One shining moment that truly shows the team’s chemistry on the field was when they beat Concordia Moorehead, their first opponent in the MIAC for the 2025 season.
Tanaka highlighted how she feels this event was the team’s biggest growth moment and how it is reflecting on their performance level.
“Our biggest growth moment this season was opening conference play with a win! The last time that this happened was in 2021, and the last time we beat Concordia Moorhead was in 2017. This speaks volumes to the team culture we have fostered and the quality of players that we have,” Tanaka said via email.
At the time this was written, the Pipers have eight games remaining on the calendar for the 2025 season. They plan to use their positive mentality coupled with the strong team dynamic to get them to the finish line, but are also keeping the idea of “one game at a time” in the back of their minds.
“One area our team is focusing on improving is taking the season one game at a time. With curveballs and quick turnarounds throughout the season, our focus has been on adapting quickly, giving 110% effort every time we step on the field, and finding ways to put the ball in the back of the net,” Tanaka said via email.
