If you would have asked any of us how we would be ending our field hockey careers here at Dartmouth, you would probably hear a conglomeration of ideas, including going to the NCAA playoffs and winning an Ivy League championship.
Unfortunately, we don't have those on our list of accomplishments from these past four years, but we have traveled quite a distance.
As freshman, we fell just short of ECACs (the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship).
We immediately set out as a team to make sure that we wouldn't get left out again. The next three years, we made ECACs; two of those years, we were seeded first and brought the championship back to Dartmouth.
This year we fell just short of an Ivy title and an NCAA bid. We were ranked in the national poll for the first time in Dartmouth field hockey history.
And this journey is only going to continue moving forward. As seniors we might not have been able to see the final destination, but we take pride in the notion that we are the catalysts of this new journey.
The rest of what we're taking away from field hockey can not be put into words or summed up on a list by anyone. What field hockey has done for us goes beyond rewards and championships.
There have been lessons learned on and off the field, from teammates and coaches, and from our own personal experiences.
As we empty our lockers and turn in our green and white jerseys, we are leaving this program on the field.
But the four of us will always be Dartmouth field hockey players.
The memories and lessons we learned on these fields, in the weight room, on the bus and at team meals will guide us for longer than we can imagine.
We would like to thank all of the people who have made this tremendous experience possible -- the endless list of people behind the scenes who put in all the time and effort that allow us to step onto the field every day.
Our coaches have helped us stretch and reach, and when we would fall, they helped us get back up and challenge ourselves even more. They taught us to always aim higher and the importance of detail, respect, commitment and working with others.
We can never thank them enough.
Our teammates are the strongest group of women in the world. We will miss you immensely. Next year know that we will be your number one fans.
Seniors Kate Alexander, Kirsten Anderson, Kristin Barlup and Abigail Clark played their last games for the Dartmouth field hockey team on Sunday. Their careers ended in fine fashion: a 2-1 win over Drexel in the ECAC championship game.
