For senior defender Madeline Bister, last season's run to the CCAA Championship match felt almost magical. "It was a surreal, almost dreamlike experience to watch all our hard work, time, and sacrifice come to life on the field," she said. "What made it even more powerful was doing it alongside a group of teammates who shared the same drive, the same fire. It felt like the stars had aligned just for us."

An injury kept Bister from playing in the final, but she still walked away with immense pride. "That journey meant everything. We had built something so special, something rooted in trust, effort, and belief."

Her Pioneer career hasn't been without adversity. Multiple knee surgeries, some during critical academic periods, forced her to rethink who she was beyond the game. "When your identity is so closely tied to your sport, losing that connection, even temporarily, is incredibly difficult," she admitted. "It's been a challenging journey, but through it all I've learned resilience, self-awareness, and how to keep pushing forward even when things feel uncertain."

That perspective has shaped her vision for life after East Bay. A Psychology major with a Sociology minor, Bister plans to pursue a career in sports psychology. "I want to be someone who helps athletes perform freely, without the mental weight that can hold them back," she said. "And for the first time, the end goal doesn't feel distant, it feels close. I'm more confident than ever that I'm exactly where I need to be, heading exactly where I want to go."

She's also passionate about addressing the urgent need for mental health support in sports. "On college campuses, athletes can become so mentally overwhelmed that they lose touch with the sport they've spent years mastering," Bister said. "This is a serious and growing issue that demands open and compassionate dialogue. I'm committed to entering the field of sports psychology to help drive that change and ensure athletes receive the mental support they truly need."

From championship highs to the challenges of injury, Bister's journey has been about more than soccer. It's about resilience, purpose, and building a future where she can help athletes find the freedom to love their sport again.