Our Seniors

           Four years being a student-athlete at the collegiate level can take a lot out of you and there are so many steps taken along the way. We have two seniors that will be leaving us this year to move onto the real world and wrap up their academic semesters. Emily LaLone and Lauren Gonyea have been with the program for all four years and have pushed themselves to help the team in every way. When speaking with them, both women seemed to have a bittersweet feeling of the end of the season. Since they went through these years together some of their answers were very similar. Having them both as our captains helped us when great minds think alike. They both will miss the feeling of being on the team and seeing all of their teammates everyday at practice, even under certain circumstances if they are tired or practice isn’t going well, they get to see their team which is like a family. Both women had a very successful freshman year that put them into the NCAA round. As they look back with nostalgia, this was their most memorable time as a Cardinal player, walking out onto that field and seeing the big Plattsburgh State sign. There were some differences in their answers, which makes them the two players that they are.

 

Q.What was going through your mind on senior game day?

Gonyea: That I would never play on that field again, it was really emotional. Especially since I’m from here I have played on that field for so long.

LaLone: Gonyea and I were both such a mess, we would just look at each other and start tearing up. It’s tough because it’s one of those things you watch everyone else go through and when it’s your turn it’s really hard.

 

Q. Is there anything you wish you could change about the season?

Gonyea: Mostly the outcome, I wish we could have gone farther.

LaLone: If I had to pick one thing I would say I wish we made it into SUNYACS.

 

Q. Is there anything you will not miss about soccer?

 Gonyea: Definitely early morning practices.

LaLone: Fitness, but also losing, that was tough.

 

Q. Would you have any inspiring words for next season’s team?

 Gonyea: Just leave it all on the field and give it all you got because it flies by so fast.

LaLone: Don’t let the same thing happen again, that should be your motivation. Remember how it feels when you get to the end of the season. As much as there are so many days when you would rather be doing anything else but practicing or you want to go out with friends when you can’t, just appreciate it while you are doing it because then it’s over.

 

Q. Why do you think the season resulted as it did?

 Gonyea: I think we did have a young team and we had all the players there but we didn’t have that extra oomph to score.

LaLone: You could look at it from a lot of different parts of our season, but we just didn’t get to the point where we were playing consistently for a whole game. It’s not like we weren’t scoring. We would score but then the other team would score like two goals in five minutes.

 

Q. As a senior, what advice would you give to incoming freshmen next year?

Gonyea: Work hard for your teammates because you are not just playing for yourself, you are playing for everyone out there.

LaLone: Appreciate every part of it, living with your teammates, doing everything with the team. Although preseason sucks, there is the hike and going to Wiley’s but appreciate it while you are doing it and work hard. Don’t be lazy because you don’t want to look back and think of what you could have done better.

 

Q. Do you have any regrets?

Gonyea: I don’t really think so, it’s hard to say because I left pretty happy.

LaLone: I don’t know if it is regret, but I just hope I was a good captain and leader when you look back because it was hard. With my internship, I felt like a zombie when I came to soccer during the week.