Grand Rapids, MI – Aquinas senior goalkeeper Kayla Shuk doesn't want to end an illustrious collegiate career without another trip to the NAIA national tournament.
Aquinas has qualified every year since Shuk has been on the team, and she's hoping for repeat success when the WHAC tournament begins this weekend.
The 24th-ranked and third-seeded Saints (9-5-1) host a quarterfinal game on Saturday at noon against crosstown rival and sixth-seed Cornerstone University (6-9-2).
UNOH, the regular season champions, has already clinched an automatic berth to the national tournament.
Aquinas, which finished third in the WHAC, has to win the WHAC tournament or advance to the finals against UNOH to earn a berth.
"I want to end my career with this team peaking and getting to the national tournament is still the goal for us," said Shuk, who moved into third place all-time in NAIA history for career shutouts with 46.3 (47) after a shutout win in the season-finale against Indiana Tech.
"It's not irrelevant, and at the end of the day, that's what we're working for in this tournament."
The Saints, who have won three of the last four conference tournaments, defeated the Golden Eagles 2-1 on Sept 24. They haven't lost to Cornerstone since 2017.
Shuk said the team isn't looking past anyone.
"We beat them before so hopefully we can do it again and move on," she said. "As long as we take care of business then we will be fine. Jenna tells us all the time that we just have to take care of ourselves and there is no one stopping us but ourselves.
"If we do what we are supposed to do we can play with anybody and we have to focus on the game at hand and not worry about what happens next. If we slip up, then there is no next."
Graduate student Kiersen Korienek, who has recorded a team-high10 goals and added six assists, also knows that the team can't look ahead.
"Our sights are definitely on this tournament and it's one game at a time," Korienek said. "But obviously with the hope and intention of making the national tournament.
"We've been super strong these last three games and we are peaking at the right time. If we can go out and win the tournament then it would be a huge statement to show teams that that's not who we were during the regular season. This is who we are now."
A loss to Lourdes on Oct. 4, followed by a tie against UM-Dearborn, spoiled Aquinas' regular-season title hopes.
However, the Saints have won four of their last five games, including three in a row to end the regular season.
"Obviously the expectation was to win the regular season because of previous years and coming in as a transfer I had those expectations too but I'm not disappointed with how the regular season turned out," Korienek said. "We dropped some unfortunate games, but I also think that losing is a really important part in the process of learning what teams need to do to grow."
Added Shuk: "We had our little slump during the season, but honestly, we've come back stronger as a team and been able to bounce back. We are at a good point right now and we are all ready and excited for the tournament. We are ready to prove ourselves."
The current week of practice leading up to Saturday's game has been energetic and positive.
"The vibes and intensity have been super good at practice," Korienek said. "Everyone is willing and ready to put in the work these next few weeks so that our season doesn't end."
NOTE: Dean Holzwarth, serving as the Senior AQSaints Athletics Reporter & Content Specialist for AQSaints.com, brings decades of journalistic precision and storytelling flair to the Saints' media efforts. Previously, he covered high school sports for five years at Grand Rapids–based WOOD-TV, following a 16-year tenure in sports reporting with the Grand Rapids Press and MLive. His deep experience in capturing the heartbeat of local athletics now fuels his engaging coverage of Aquinas College sports.
