By Suki Rowden, Staff Writer
On Feb. 1, 2022, the Saint Vincent Bearcats faced the Chatham Cougars at home. This exciting game was a true testament to the female athletes’ excellence with impressive sportsmanship from both teams. Entering the game, the Bearcats were on a 11-game winning streak, which led them to second place in the PAC standings. The entire game was close with the Bearcats’ shots immediately being countered by shots from the Cougars. Despite the Bearcats’ efforts, Chatham pulled away in the end, ending their winning streak, but many SVC players had impressive performances. Notable players from SVC were Madison Weber, a senior psychology major, scoring a game-high of 21 points and had 12 rebounds, and Ella Marconi, a senior nursing major, who scored 12 points and had 13 rebounds. Saint Vincent College and Chatham University have a history of these close games, with SVC winning a back-and-forth match as recently as December 2022 against Chatham. In this most recent match, the scores were tied seven times and the lead changed nine times, exemplifying just how skilled both teams are.
In the spirit of the 37th National Girls and Women in Sports Day, refreshments and snacks were available to all female athletes during the game in the Robert S. Carey Center. Feb. 1st was first designated National Girls and Women in Sports Day by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. The holiday was originally intended to honor Flo Hyman, an iconic American volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist, who tragically died at the age of 31 due to a genetic condition. The holiday then developed into a day meant to celebrate and encourage all female sports players, professional, amateur, and those who aspired to play alike. National Girls and Women in Sports Day also brings awareness to the Title IX act passed in 1972 that demanded equal access for sports to women and girls in the United States.
Although the Bearcats could not snatch a win on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, they came back with a vengeance and have already secured a victory against Allegheny just three days later, and then another win against Thiel on Feb. 8. As of Feb. 9, the women’s team remains in second place in the conference.
