When the final horn sounded in the GPAC Championship match at Hastings, Dordt head coach Payton Chitwood didn't talk about tactics, missed opportunities, or the sting of a season's end. He first reminded his team who they were.

"I told them nothing's changing," said Chitwood. We're still going to serve each other, pick up each other's water bottles, and we're still going to walk off together in pairs or threes. We're not going to go in isolation."

That image, walking off the field together, linked as they had been all year, was the identity of a team that embraced connection as tightly as they embraced competition. Even at 3:00 a.m., rolling back from Nebraska with the season freshly over, the bus wasn't quiet.

"There was constant chatter the whole ride home," Chitwood said, laughing. "After a loss like that, how are you not happy about that? You feel for them, especially the seniors, but they weren't taking the time together for granted. That's all you can ask for."

Dordt's final match of the season was exactly what a conference championship should be, tense, physical, and played at full speed from start to finish.

"It was all in and all guns blazing," Chitwood said. "You could tell from the sideline—people were standing the entire match."

Dordt created chances early, including a stretch of multiple corners that nearly produced the breakthrough.

"We weren't expecting to hit two or three corners in a row like that," he said. "We were hoping to put one away."

Even in the final minutes, the Defenders found opportunities in the attacking third, but the last touch never fully materialized. "That's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes," Chitwood said. "We had our chances."

The result stung. The seniors absorbed the finality. The younger players took in the moment.

"They were all happy, right?" Chitwood joked. "At least, that's what everyone asks. But genuinely—they handled it well. They didn't take the time for granted."

He recalled a conversation from earlier in the year with senior Abby Worthey, who played the entire season with pain in both hips.

"She had two torn labrums and she fought through it," he said. "We talked about how you never know how many more bus rides you've got. You can wallow, or you can invest in the relationships right in front of you."

For this team, that choice was clear.

Evaluating the season requires both immediate reflection and distance, and Chitwood has done a little of both.

"You evaluate as you go so it's not a wash at the end," he said. "But it's also healthy to sit on it and let your brain slow down."

The Defenders had a rocky start, something anyone glancing at the schedule would notice. But the team never wavered.

"They never stopped learning and growing," Chitwood said. "As a coach, what more do you want? You want a coachable team—a team that has your back. And they did."

Even logistical details are under review. Travel methods, meals, routines, everything is on the table as the staff looks for ways to help the team take the next competitive step.

Some departures hit harder than others, and replacing an All-American forward is no easy task. Senior standout Karinna Tel rewrote record books and reshaped defensive game plans across the conference.

"From the outside world, people know she's an All-American and GPAC Offensive Player of the Year three years in a row," Chitwood said. "Finishing with 98 career goals—it's phenomenal."

But her impact extended well beyond the scoreboard.

"One day after practice, she was headed out, realized a teammate was struggling, and walked all the way back to sit down on the cold ground and talk," he said. "When that comes from someone with her talent—that's special."

And she wasn't the only one. Chitwood emphasized that the culture of the program reflects the collective—not a handful of stars.

Taking over the program last spring meant immediate transition, relocation, and integration. For Chitwood, the fit was fast and natural.

"I love the ladies," he said. "The athletic department welcomed me with open arms. The team loved on my kids, which means a lot."

That foundation carried the Defenders through early-season turbulence and into one of the most competitive stretches of their season.

When Chitwood meets a prospective student-athlete, his message is clear, simple, and rooted in identity.

"We preach the gospel after every match," he said. "We want to chase Jesus, serve each other, and be competitive. God gave you talents, don't take them for granted. Don't be entitled. Work your socks off."

His pitch isn't about himself or even the coaching staff.

"If you take the coaches out of it, the program is phenomenal," he said. "Our school is different. Our players are countercultural in the way they love each other and compete. It doesn't take long to see that."

Spring workouts will arrive soon enough, and the cycle will begin again. But for now, the Defenders' season will be remembered for something deeper than results.

A championship game played at full intensity. A senior class that was invested. A team that valued its relationships as much as its performance. And a season where the team walked off together.