The Observer, September 19, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 4
Women's Soccer: Spartans score early, often against BW
Despite recent team injuries and of traveling two weekends in a row, Case women's soccer has done it again: the Spartans beat Baldwin-Wallace College in a 3-1 win this past Saturday, making their overall record 4-1. Baldwin-Wallace College's Yellow Jackets had just come off of a win against Oberlin College, but the Spartans easily matched their momentum. Captain Caitlin Miller summarized the game as a "team effort with assists and goals by many" and emphasized "we came out and dominated every aspect of the game. We connected passes and kept the game at our pace and capitalized on our opportunities." Sophomore forward Ana Arruda scored the first goal of the game with about 19 minutes left on the clock in the first half. Coming off of the bench with intensity, Arruda powerfully fired the ball into the back of the net off of Amy Baumann's deflected shot. Coach Tiff Crooks said of Arruda: "She's great on the ball and probably one of the only female players in America at the Div. III level able to do some of the tricks she does within the game. She's very difficult to play against because she's so creative and will do the unexpected." Arruda now has three goals and two assists this season.
As the Spartan defense remained solid, the team continued to dominate, possessing the ball and working give-and-go passes up the field. Their efforts and teamwork paid off soon after when freshman Kristina Vaci skillfully threaded the ball through Baldwin-Wallace defenders to junior Jen Soo Hoo. Soo Hoo finished off of the pass to score the second goal of the game. Usually a midfielder, Soo Hoo was playing forward in Saturday's game, and as coach Crooks said, it was quite obvious that "she can be a great offensive threat." The third and final goal of the half was scored at the 38:26 mark by Vaci and was assisted by Arruda. From Mentor, Ohio, Vaci is an attacking midfielder who had her first start against Baldwin-Wallace, though she regularly sees a lot of playing time. Vaci has three goals and an assist this season, making her a leading scorer alongside sophomores Arruda and Baumann. The first half ended 3-0, Spartans.
The second half began without the injured and core junior midfielder Katie Fromwiller, though freshman Rebecca Vaughan filled in and played a solid half. Baldwin-Wallace proved to be a very physical and athletic team as the game waged on, and their senior midfielder, Maddy Davis, scored unassisted at 49:56 of the second half. The Yellow Jackets, however, were unable to score again as the Spartans' defense held strong, allowing the Yellow Jackets only six shots the entire game. Senior keeper Kirsten McClain had a shutout in the first half, while freshman goalie Anna Kennedy made four saves in the second half. With three goals by three different players, the Spartans' attack is certainly working, and as Soo Hoo said, "[the game] showed that we can score through playing as a team in the run of play as opposed to just off of corner kicks and set plays." The final score showed another well-played and well-fought win for women's soccer as they continue on in their season.
