An otherwise magical, record-setting season came to an end on Sunday, as UMKC was done in by a second half scoring barrage that resulted in a 5-0 loss to Seattle in the WAC Championship match.
The ‘Roos (13-5-3) were formidable early, taking the initial shot advantage with multiple looks on net by senior forward Ellie Chadick. Seattle returned fire as the match drifted towards the midway point of the first half, flipping the field on Kansas City by pushing the majority of its possession deep into the Kangaroos’ back-third.
Julia Moravec gave the Redhawks a lead in the 11th minute off the assist from Taylor Ritzman, but UMKC was otherwise able to weather the storm, entering intermission down just a goal.
What happened after halftime was neither foreseen nor characteristic of a group of ‘Roos that entered Sunday’s championship amid the most successful run in program history. Moravec struck again in the 52nd minute — this time off of an assist by Stephanie Verdoia — and one minute later, Natasha Howe deposited another goal for SU that changed the complexion of the match.
In the 59th minute, it was Verdoia, the nation’s second leading goal-scorer, getting into the act with a goal of her own to push the advantage to 4-0 and all but eliminate any doubt as to the ultimate outcome. Just over three minutes later, Kelly Beck hammered home a penalty kick to set the final margin.
All told, a span of just under 11 minutes proved crippling for UMKC as the ‘Roos lost their grip on an otherwise closely-contested match.
Despite the unfortunate reality of a season-ending loss, the 2014 campaign can only be described as a success for head coach Chris Cissell and his team. A year removed from a WAC Championship appearance, the ‘Roos made it back to the conference title game, won a program record 13 games, and set numerous single-game records along the way.
The trajectory of the program at large continues its ascent despite coming up short on Sunday. The ‘Roos must depart with the most successful senior class in school history, a group that arrived at the depths of futility and departs on the heels of a WAC regular season title and back-to-back championship appearances. UMKC returns a bevy of talent in 2015, including All-WAC performers Nina Tzianos and Emily Herndon.
Cissell & Co. have now won 25 games over the course of the past two seasons and will welcome what figures to be an impactful freshman class next season. And while a season’s end often incites uncertainty regarding the future of a team, such is not the case with UMKC.
The ‘Roos are not done – they’re just getting started.