Historic Bees Run Ends: 'Next Year Starts Now'


11/23/2015

Winning a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference title in St. Ambrose's inaugural CCAC season only made the Fighting Bees women's soccer squad hungrier for more success.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, Coach Jon Mannall's squad (13-5-3) made the women's soccer program's first ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament Sweet 16 in Orange Beach, Ala. The 17th-seeded Bees fell 3-0 to second-seeded Northwestern Ohio.

"Today we knew we were up against the best the NAIA has to offer and we had to be almost perfect," Mannall said following the loss in the round of 16. "Sadly we made some mistakes and we got punished for them, but the character the girls showed. The heart and determination on display made this coaching staff very proud."

St. Ambrose advanced to Orange Beach with a 3-2 first-round road win over Hastings (Neb.) College on Nov. 21. The Bees women had failed to advance beyond the first round in three previous opportunities in the national tournament. After a 2-3 start to the season, the Bees only loss prior to the national tourney was to NCAA Division I Northern Iowa in late October.

Mannall credited seniors Regan McGlaughlin, Tori Novak and Jessica Mlachnik, with helping a young team mature over the course of the season. Junior co-captain Kaelin Trippe, who was named an Academic All-American on Nov. 19, also has supplied critical leadership, Mannall said.

Mannall said Trippe and her fellow returning Bees gained valuable experience through the tournament run.

"We will have 19 players returning next year and prove they are amongst the elite teams in the country," he said. "The experience has been incredible and priceless. We saw what the next level was and know what we need to do to get there. Next year starts now."

The Bees completed their first CCAC campaign unbeaten, finishing 10-0-2 in a deep and challenging conference that Mannall said represented a serious step up in class for his team. "To go through undefeated is quite significant," he said. "There are no easy games."

Mannall credited the challenge of playing in the Chicagoland league for helping the Bees grind out a win in their NAIA opener on the road in Nebraska.

"I think absolutely," Mannall said. "It is so significant that we have been in so many tough games this year."

Mannall also thanked players' parents and the entire St. Ambrose community for their support. "Great to be a Bee," he said.

Other SAU teams competing for the first time in the Chicagoland Conference this fall also held their own. Both the women's volleyball and men's soccer teams qualified for berths in their conference postseason tournaments, where only eight of the league's 13 teams advanced.

A pair of St. Ambrose women, sophomore Karyn Paisley and freshman Keeley Knobloch, also earned berths in the NAIA National meet on Nov. 24 in Charlotte, N.C. with strong runs at the CCAC Conference meet on Nov. 7.

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