The team that won the national title
By Blake Metiva
Delta College’s Women’s Soccer Team took home a national championship for the first time in three years. The team defeated the Mohawk Valley Hawks 3-0 on Nov. 17, marking their second national title in program history.
The Pioneers had been ranked inside the top two teams since the preseason, and first in the division since Sept. 16. They entered the tournament as the top team in Division III, so anything other than a title would’ve been a disappointment.
The national final was a familiar place for the sophomore members of the team, as they’d been here before a mere 371 days ago. In the 2023 final they met the Dallas College-Brookhaven Bears, a familiar opponent for the Pioneers. Dallas-Brookhaven won that game 1-0, lighting a fire that burned for the Pioneers all year.
“Last year was so hard, I was bawling because I was so upset–I let my sophomores down,” said sophomore Anna Sabo.
If you ask anyone on the team or close to them, they’ll describe the team’s culture with one word appearing the most: family.
“For us, it’s to truly care about the person next to you,” noted head-coach Damon Amey. “Everybody throws around the term family; you might have disagreements with a family, but we know how to work it out. We work hard at our culture to make sure we do care for those around us.”
Every player on the team echoed the sentiments held by Amey; all players interviewed mentioned their familial bond.
“It’s like a sisterhood, honestly,” freshman Molly Siler agreed. “We all treat each other as family. We’re all there for each other, we’re all checking in on each other. And it’s more than just a sport.”
As the first whistle sounded in Batavia, N.Y. Delta looked to fulfill its destiny while the third seeded Mohawk Valley Hawks tried to impede the Pioneers’ win. The game was a dominant display by the Pioneers commanding the time of possession and number of shots. At the 30-minute mark freshman Isabella Workman would give Delta the lead with an assist from Peyton Pratt. Heading into halftime, the Pioneers scored more goals than the Hawks had shots on goal.
Starting the second half the Pioneers came out quick, scoring twice within the first five minutes. Sophomore Kendall Jackson scored less than a minute into the second half to make it 2-0. Not long after, Mohawk Valley fouled a Delta player in the box and gave away a penalty. Sabo stepped up and scored to put the penalty away and bring the title home to University Center.
After the final whistle, the team was given championship shirts and hats, photos were taken, and trophies were raised.
“It was relieving; I felt really happy,” sophomore Aidda Freeman expressed. “It made my disappointment over last year much better, going out on that high was amazing.”
Every member of the team felt joy and relief reflecting on the achievement the title brought them.
“It was a surreal experience,” freshman Brooke Schwartz noted. “I was just happy that we could help the sophomores do it, because I love them all so much and I wanted to send them out on a high.”
After the heartbreak of last season and the tough path back to the final, it was never a given that the women would make it back.
“It feels really good no matter what,” Amey said about his second title with the program. “You never know if you’re going to get back there again, so to be able to get back a second time and do it adds a little extra.”
So what comes next for the soccer program? A higher standard.
“I think that we set a bar and now with the new recruits coming in, they know that the bar is high,” Delta College Athletic Director Brad Barlog stated. “The freshmen, after getting back from the trip, they’re like ‘we want to repeat, we want to put another in that trophy case.’ The bar is high and the culture is there, and I think this is great for our program.”
