Behind the Whistle: Why Not Us?

This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization. Emma Rafferty was a graduate student on the national champion Pace women's lacrosse team.

The 2023 season for Pace women’s .lacrosse will call for fresh ink in the history books and to correctly write this story, we must go back to the beginning. We had a special group of leaders and upperclassmen who were ready to break down the barriers that we continued to face each year.

These included falling short in our conference playoffs and ultimately missing the NCAA tournament repeatedly. A change needed to happen, but determining where to start proved to be slightly overwhelming. Changing a team culture can be an intimidating task for leaders, but it was a challenge we were willing to face. As leaders, we set forth goals, aspirations and expectations for the upcoming season. All of which we made before we even stepped foot on campus in January.

When presenting our redefined ideas to the team, it was important that our common goal was embraced by all. It was necessary to make sure that each of our teammates believed a successful season was in the cards for us. A season where a national championship would be at the top of our list.

A major change that we embraced as a team this year was our mantra. Deciding to change this was something I felt necessary. As a sixth-year graduate student, I had been on the team the longest and played with the girls that started the program. However, I was also a part of our shortcomings year after year. The team agreed that changing the words our team lived by could help break the cycle.

“Why Not Us?” became our team mantra in February and quickly sparked the necessary change, allowing us to compete at our highest level. We lived by this saying. As we continued to check off monumental wins from our schedule, the goals we envisioned felt within reach. When others thought our success was a “fluke,” we blocked out the noise and used it as fuel. We turned to “Why Not Us?” and played with a chip on our shoulder.

Reaching new heights, beating ranked opponents and having our most successful regular season in Pace history was a testament to the team culture created back in the preseason.

Our new mentality continued to serve as the driving force throughout the postseason. After a heartbreaking loss in the NE10 championship game, feelings of shortcomings from past seasons resurfaced. But this year was different; we allowed those feelings, gave them acknowledgment and used them to become stronger. The success we accumulated throughout the course of the season meant this loss was not the end for us.

Earning our first-ever bid in the NCAA tournament meant another opportunity to prove “Why Not Us?” and a shot at redemption. This time, we would not miss.

Going into the tournament, we remembered the feeling of defeat to fuel our fire. We knew that in order to be successful, we had to hone in on all the things that made our team special. That meant working as a team, leaning on one another, playing our version of lacrosse and ultimately having fun.

Our very best lacrosse was played when we felt no pressure, and when there was, we refused to crack under it. We were at our best as a group of 32 girls stepping onto the field to play the sport they love and remembering “Why Not Us?” This mentality proved to be the deciding factor in why we can call ourselves the 2023 Division II women’s lacrosse national champions! It was why we were able to play with grace and ease on the biggest stage, treating that game as we would any other.