St. Bonifacius, Minn. – The women's soccer season came to a close on Saturday afternoon with hope for the future as they celebrated their seniors. Crown was able to win their last two games of the season, beating Bethany Lutheran 2-1 and Mount Mary 4-1 over the weekend.

During Friday's game against Bethany Lutheran, the Crown women were down 0-1 at halftime, but a second-half surge and a connection between freshman Anna Kragt (Milaca, Minn./Black Forest Academy) and junior Susanna Pjecha (Meadville, Penn./Calvary Baptist) spurred a come from behind victory. Pjecha assisted on Kragt goals in the 46th and 62nd minutes. Crown held on to victory from there, winning 2-1.

It was Crown's second UMAC victory on the season and the players were elated at the win. Sophomore Katelyn Carter (Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View) shared this sentiment, "I got chills when the final whistle blew. I have never been so proud of my teammates." 

Kragt's weekend didn't end there, with a goal in the 2nd minute on a corner kick play in Saturday's game against Mount Mary, assisted by senior Emily Kirby (Andover, Minn./Legacy Christian) and Katelyn Carter. It is worth noting that the assist from Kirby (who is Crown's goalkeeper) came when Crown pulled their goalie for the corner kick play. 

The scoring did not stop there with Carter getting her first goal of the season in the fourth minute, followed by her second of the season in the eighth minute. Crown led 3-0 in the first ten minutes, which was their first three-goal game of the year. 

After allowing a second half goal to Mount Mary, sophomore Keisha Prafke (Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake) set up Carter for a hat trick, Carter's first three goals on the season.

"When I realized that it was the seniors' last game, it hit me and I knew I needed to play for them and the rest of my team." Carter said, "Nothing was going to stop us from winning our final game of the season. We will continue to work hard in the offseason so we can continue this winning streak into next season." 

Emily Kirby was the defensive star of the matches, with 24 saves and only the two goals allowed (along with the aforementioned assist). She's kept them in games all season with her play, and it was a great send-off for her with two wins. It was the last game of their Crown careers for Kirby, Danielle Palm (Mound, Minn./Mound Westonka), and Gilly Noring (Granger, Iowa/Woodward-Granger). 

"I've loved playing for Crown the past four years. These last two games displayed what I love most about this team: tenacity. They work and they push," senior Kirby stated after the games. "That's what matters in the game and in life. I'm proud of my team and I'm proud to call Crown home."