The forecast is calling for rain on Saturday, and so our first MAAC games against Fairfield have been pushed to Sunday, April 1st. This is both a blessing and a disappointment. We played some good ball this week, facing St. Johns, Hofstra and Stony Brook in preparation for the Stags this weekend. Now the time has come to put all the prep work to the test as we’re finally met with what sometimes feels like the entire meaning of our existence; conference play. Being now 27 games deep into the season, we have reached the point of no return as our next game is one that has been anticipated by both us and Fairfield since our last meeting at the MAAC Championship game, 10 months ago. It would be foolish of us to look past the fact that the returning Stags are, without doubt, seeking redemption. The anticipation of the Fairfield game is a feeling I hope we cling to before every MAAC game this season. As we are not exactly the underdogs in our conference this year, it is important for us to realize exactly how hard these other teams plan to hit us.

Although I maintain that we played some good ball this week; we lost three of the five games we played. We have suffered enough of a beating this year. We have fallen, gotten hurt, bled, cried, screamed and fought. We’ve seen times when we let emotions get the best of us and infiltrate our ability to play, and other times when we’ve placed petty issues aside to make way for what is most important to all of us; success. Coach has said all year that our team can go one of two ways. On the days that we all decide to play together and strive towards the same goal, we’re unstoppable. Yet, all it takes is one girl, only one, to decide on any given day that she isn’t 100% committed to the cause, or that she’s tired, or sick, or would rather be somewhere else. And that one girl’s demeanor can and will cause a ripple effect to some degree through the rest of us which will almost certainly result in failure. It is the responsibility of all of us to wake each morning and tell ourselves, “I will not be this girl”, and if you find on one morning that you cannot rightfully make this statement, then call in sick. 

This is what we’ve been working for since August, this is the reason for which we do anything and everything. Remember our goal and remember the feeling we felt 10 months ago when suddenly it’s all worth it. We are the team to beat, and we must refuse to be beaten.  There is no room for anything less than everything we have, so get up, get excited, and GO TO WORK. 

At our home opener on Wednesday, we received our 2011 MAAC Championship rings.