When the spring 2021 Ivy League season was canceled, student-athletes had to grapple with being stripped of a part of their identity. For many, the cancellation meant the loss of another season, and for seniors, it meant the premature ending of their collegiate athletic careers.

When members of the Columbia women’s soccer team laced up their cleats for their 1986 season opener at the Seven Sisters’ tournament at Bryn Mawr, what might now seem like a typical start to the year was actually a historic moment for the team. The team took to the field for the first time as recognized varsity athletes, only three years after Columbia became coeducational. However, the Lions’ quick victory that day was not an omen for early success.