The Observer, September 12, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 3
Women's Soccer: Tough loss, then dramatic win for Spartans
This past weekend was a beautiful weekend for soccer and not just because of the beautiful weather: Case women's soccer came home from a well played weekend of away games with a competitive loss and exciting win. Their current season record is 3-1, showing that the Spartans have clearly begun the season with momentum, determination, and success. On Saturday, the Case women's soccer team faced Ohio Wesleyan University's Bishops, a technical and athletic team from Delaware, Ohio. While the Spartans lost to the Bishops 3-0, the score does not reflect the competiveness of the game. The Bishops scored their first goal early in the game off of a penalty kick, and scored the second goal towards the end of the first half. The Bishops scored the third and final goal in the second half off of another stopped ball – this time an unstoppable direct kick to the upper corner. The starting lineup on Saturday included freshmen Laura Gabster and Alexandra Litofsky, and senior goalie Kirsten McClain had an impressive eight saves in goal.
"[Ohio Wesleyan's] program is perennially one of the top in the nation, with two national championships in their recent history. Playing against this type of competition will only make us better. We improved today," said coach Tiffany Crooks.
On Sunday, the Spartans faced off against the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Tigers scored the first goal in the 32nd minute of play, finishing with a header off of a corner kick. However, the Spartans came back strong in the second half and scored in the 54th minute of play. The goal was scored in the midst of a post-corner kick scramble by freshman Kristina Vaci, making it her second goal of the season. Though the Tigers are a hard-working and physical team, the Spartans matched their efforts.
"We started off frantic, but took control after [the Tigers] scored, and we created a lot of opportunities," said sophomore forward Ana Arruda. The opportunities certainly paid off. At 3:42 of golden goal overtime, off of junior Jen Soo Hoo's corner kick, sophomore Amy Baumann scored the winning goal, making the final score 2-1. Baumann, who has scored three goals in the past four games and is currently the Spartan's leading scorer.
This season the Spartans are using a new formation on the field, a 3-5-2: three flat defenders in the back, five midfielders, and two forwards up top. The new 3-5-2 formation lends extra strength to the midfield, and a strong midfield is critical for ball possession and scoring opportunities. Though playing with only three flat defenders in the back is typically difficult, Crooks feels the "backs defended well" and that the girls were "able to create scoring opportunities in the attack" this past weekend. Considering their impressive record thus far, the 3-5-2 formation appears to be working well for the team.
An interview with Amy Baumann
Sonya Narla: The women's soccer team is off to a great start this year. What do you think is coming together for you guys?
Amy Baumann: We have a lot of returning players, and it is our second year with our coach [Tiffany Crooks] which is good. We did also get some really good freshmen. And we have been really successful on corners.
SN: Speaking of corners, you scored the winning goal in overtime on Sunday. How did that feel?
AB: It felt really good because we really played hard and outworked that team, so it was a great win. It was also surprising because I barely got a touch on [the ball] and it kind of trickled over the line.
SN: You guys are using a new formation this year, a 3-5-2. How do you think that is going so far?
AB: Well, we are 3-1 so that speaks for itself. We are still trying to get used to it and work out some kinks. As a midfielder I really like it because we have a plus-one advantage in the midfield.
SN: What about Saturday's loss – what happened?
AB: It was an unfortunate loss because they only scored one goal in play. It definitely did not reflect how closely contested the game really was.
SN: So all-in-all it was a competitive weekend; fun to play?
AB: Yes, definitely.
