Looking back on four years of playing soccer with the Falcons, senior co-captains Samantha Bland and Colleen Kordan have bittersweet emotions.

They both loved their time playing soccer under coach Andy Richards but now that it is over, both are already missing it.

‘I can’t even explain the emotions,’ Bland said. ‘You never think the day actually will come when you’re done with something that you have put so much time into your whole life.

‘I’m extremely sad to be done with BGSU soccer, it was one of the best experiences of my life.’

Kordan shares some of the same and some different feelings about finishing her final season.

‘I am excited to move onto a new chapter of my life and enjoy things that I couldn’t while I was playing soccer,’ Kordan said. ‘I’m planning on graduating in the spring. It’s an exciting part in my life.’

But Kordan is hung up on some of the way this season panned out.

‘The way my senior class and I went out, that’s not how I wanted to be remembered,’ Kordan said. ‘It was my goal to help lead my team to a championship and I wasn’t able to fulfill that goal. It’s sad – soccer has been a part of my life for the past 15 years and now it’s gone. It still hasn’t hit me yet.’

There are a lot of things that Kordan and Bland will take with them now that their season has come to a close and they are on their way to graduation. Richards has definitely left them with some good lessons that apply to both on and off the field.

‘Losing makes you appreciate winning,’ Bland said. ‘Don’t be selfish. When you work as a team, you can accomplish so much more than working for yourself.’

But some lessons will be left on the soccer field.

‘Always keep the ball low and hard and in the corner,’ Bland said. The seniors also will miss much more from their four years playing.

‘Hands down: my teammates,’ Kordan said. ‘It’s funny. You come into college not knowing a single teammate and by the end of your four years, you’ve truly become a family – especially with those you’ve played with for four years. It’s an irreplaceable feeling.’

Bland also will miss her teammates.

‘I will miss the girls,’ she said. ‘I have made some of my best friends here – the bus trips, home games and being able to play competitively.’

Now that the season has come to a close, Kordan and Bland have different ideas of how soccer will fit in their lives.

‘I’ve never pictured myself as a coach, but who knows,’ Bland said. ‘I definitely want to focus my dietetics career around something sports-related; soccer would be great.’

‘I hope to play co-ed and in leagues with my former teammates,’ Kordan said. ‘Maybe one day, I’ll go back to coaching. I hope to stay connected to the BGSU program by attending games and working the summer camp.’

Looking back, one must look at the highlights and accomplishments of these two soccer players. Kordan has accumulated five goals scored along with seven assists in her four years here as a Falcon. She was named to the All-MAC team her freshman year, named co-defensive MVP along with Bland her sophomore year and named First Team All-MAC her junior year.

Bland has scored three goals and two assists in her tenure here at BG. Her defensive accomplishments are even more impressive though, as she has been named the team’s defensive MVP each year with the Falcons.

For these two players, looking back on their memories on the field is very rewarding and emotional. Now that they have left their legacies on the field, they are leaving the world of BG soccer with some advice for the younger players, to help them prosper.

‘Always give 100 percent and have fun,’ Kordan said. ‘I remember when I was a freshman the seniors used to tell me, ‘Enjoy it – it’ll be over before you know it.”

Samantha Bland had a similar message, along with a certain goal she would like the Falcons to carry out.

‘Stay in shape, stay out of trouble, don’t get down on yourself,’ she said. ‘And win a flippin’ ring.”