This past weekend was the first of UAA play for the men’s and women’s soccer teams of Case Western Reserve University. Both teams faced off against their University of Rochester counterparts at DiSanto Field on Saturday, Oct. 4 in a pair of tightly contested matches. Ultimately, the men tied Rochester 1-1, while the women prevailed over the Yellowjackets 3-1.
Commenting on the men’s game, fourth-year forward Stephen Vilardo noted how his team’s tie with Rochester set a strong tone for the rest of the UAA slate.
“I feel like it sets the tone very well,” Vilardo said. “We controlled the ball for the majority of the game and held Rochester to very few chances.”
A similar mentality was echoed by fourth-year midfielder Ceci Dapino in regards to the women’s game.
“Winning the first UAA game is always so important to get the ball rolling,” Dapino said. “The difference in levels between non-conference and UAA can be pretty steep, so a win like this is important for our confidence to know that we can compete with anybody.”
First up on the field were the men, with their game kicking off at 11 a.m. The first half showed off the defensive prowess of both sides as neither team was able to score during the period. For CWRU, the period was defined by a series of promising attacks that ultimately came short. Vilardo attempted two shots during the first 20 minutes of the game—his second would be the first shot on goal of the game, though it would be saved by Rochester’s goalkeeper. The same fate would be met by an attempted shot from first-year midfielder Micah Rossen eight minutes later, though Rossen’s shot required a diving save.
The closest the Spartans would come to scoring during the period came in the 41st minute; First-year midfielder Raj Chitre headed a shot that went past the out-of-position goalkeeper, but a Yellowjacket defender was able to deflect the shot and keep the Spartans scoreless going into the second half.
The second half proved to be more fruitful for both teams on the offensive side. In the 67th minute, Rochester broke the scoreless tie when a misplaced pass across CWRU’s backline was intercepted by a Rochester forward near the top of the 18-yard box, leading to the team’s first goal. However, CWRU was quick to respond as Rossen scored in the 70th minute with an assist from second-year midfielder Mitchell Fein. The goal marked Rossen’s second goal of the season and Fein’s first assist of his career.
Hope for a win emerged in the final minutes when fourth-year Ben Collier challenged the Rochester keeper near the top of the 18 and slipped the ball into the back of the net. However, the goal was disallowed as Collier was called for a foul on the play. The final minutes of the match were a further test of the Spartan defense as they successfully fended off a trio of corner kicks by the Yellowjackets.
With the conclusion of the men’s game came the start of the women’s game at 1:30 p.m. This game carried extra stakes for the women’s team as it marked the last chance for fourth-year members of the team to defeat Rochester after having lost to them in 2024 and tying in 2023 and 2022.
CWRU was quick to jump into action with two shots in the first two minutes, the first from fourth-year forward/midfielder and co-captain Alexis Sassower and the second from fellow fourth-year midfielder/defender Julia Flynn; both of these shots were blocked by Rochester’s goalkeeper, however. Four subsequent shots over the next ten minutes failed to see the back of the net before the Yellowjackets scored a successful shot in the 16th minute, giving the Spartans their first deficit of the entire season.
Much of the rest of the period was marked by unsuccessful shots from both sides before second-year midfielder Ashley Liang shot into the bottom corner of the goal during the 41st minute, earning her first collegiate goal and leveling the score 1-1.
The second half was all CWRU as the Spartans dominated possession and shots. While the first several minutes of the period would be marked by strong defensive efforts by both sides, the Spartans would break through the tie in the 63rd minute thanks to a shot from Dapino as she slid a goal past the goalkeeper and into the net. This was followed up 12 minutes later by another successful shot by Dapino, solidifying the Spartans’s lead as they continued to hold their ground, and ultimately their victory over the Yellowjackets.
The match presented a new challenge for the Spartans, as it marked the first time all season they had fallen behind and needed to rally to keep their undefeated streak alive. After their performance over the weekend, the Spartans climbed in the national rankings, moving up from fourth in the nation to third.
Dapino, who was named a Spartan Club Athlete of the Week for Oct. 6 for her efforts during the game, took note of where the team will go from here.
“We know that our next match is going to be tough, but I think after Rochester, the team knows that we’re good enough to get it done,” Dapino said. “Within the team, you can definitely feel the desire to keep winning and proving ourselves against the best teams in the nation.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by Vilardo in regards to the men’s team.
“All of the guys deserve so much credit for the effort and work they have put into our team so far this season, and I think it shows with where we are at this point in the year,” Vilardo said. “However, the work is nowhere near finished and if we are going to have a successful year in the UAA, that needs to continue in everything we do from here until our last game.”
The men’s and women’s teams will both continue the UAA fight this weekend as they host their Washington University in St. Louis counterparts on Saturday, Oct. 11 as part of Homecoming Saturday. The Bears have been tough opponents in the past, as both Spartan squads fell to them last season. The WashU women enter as the reigning NCAA national champions and the WashU men are currently ranked No.7 in the nation.