At noon on Sunday, October 26th, Pirates, alumni, and family members alike crowded the Varsity Athletic Field bleachers, spilling into the grass beside the field. A sense of rowdy anticipation suffused the air, with all present awaiting the referee’s whistle to blow and mark the start of the 2025 Homecoming Women’s Soccer game.

The Pirates have had a tough season so far, marked by six wins, six losses, and four ties prior to this game. The Rhodes College Lynx, on the other hand, have had ten wins, two losses, and two ties prior to this game and were ranked #21 nationally. The unfavorable betting odds only sweetened our brutal takedown of Rhodes College on the field.

Though the game was tight (1-0), #25 forward Jackie Powell scored a jaw-dropping goal with an assist from goalkeeper #00 EJ Searfoss. Searfoss punted the ball, which was received by Powell to be drilled into the back of the net, completely bypassing the opponent’s goalie. The score left fans screaming Powell’s praises and marked her 12th goal of the season.

Notably, this game marks the 100th career win for the head coach, Linda Hamilton, at Southwestern University. Hamilton is working her 11th season as head coach, putting her experience to work in order to help her team reach new milestones.

 The real MVP of the game, though, was our freshman goalkeeper, EJ Searfoss. Searfoss delivered a whopping 16 saves — preventing the Lynx from scoring time and time again. This became her highest accumulation of saves in one game during her early career here at Southwestern University.  

Even still, every single SU player left their all on the field. Team communication only improved throughout the game, as players seemed to learn the tricks of the opposing team. The Pirates’ adaptation to Lynx’s offense sustained our shutout against Rhodes College despite multiple attacks into the 18-yard box, which brought every SU fan to the edge of their seat as the Pirates prevailed. Every member of our team did their part in the game, working collectively to achieve a Lynx loss. After this match, the Pirates left the field making a statement: don’t count us out yet. They play their last conference match against Trinity alongside the men’s team on November 1.