For Fredonia coach Cathy Cruver, Monday's CCAA Division 1 girls' high school soccer game was more than just a soccer game as the Lady Hillbillies (5-6) Pinked the Field.
Cruver, a cancer survivor, has been cancer free for a year.
Despite the team's 3-1 loss to Southwestern, Cruver was happy to be on the sidelines.
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Fredonia’s Morgan Genovese, center, fights off Southwestern’s Ashley Carnes (8) and Katie Moran (11) during Monday’s CCAA?Division 1 girls’ high school soccer game.
"At this time last year, I was having my first chemo treatment," Cruver said. "These girls have been the best medicine in the world for me. I feel very, very luck and proud to be their coach."
Fredonia's Alex Zentz opened the scoring in the first half and Morgan Genovese was credited with the assist.
The Lady Trojans' Megan Sholl scored two late second-half goals and was credited with an assist on Kate Johnson's first-half goal to spoil Fredonia's special day. Johnson also had an assist.
"The girls played hard," Cruver said. "We were out maneuvered tonight. Coming off of two game - we played Friday and Saturday - we had very little rest in between our games. The girls were tired. They played hard. I know they wanted to win for the Pink the Field."
The Lady Hillbillies sold T-shirts and raffle tickets and all the proceeds will be divided between Circle of Love and Roswell Park, where Cruver received her treatment.
"Everything is going very well," Cruver said. "I am lucky. It was a real special game. I know the girls wanted it. It just didn't work for us this year. That's alright. Sometimes it goes that way. Thanks to places like Roswell Park I will have more games like this to coach in."
