This past Saturday, Oct. 5, marked the first UAA game of the season for the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team. The game saw CWRU tie New York University 1-1 in a home game on DiSanto Field.
The game started with a few minutes of back and forth between CWRU and NYU for possession of the ball, with each side making strong strides breaking through the other side’s defense. This was before NYU made a free kick into the goal during the seventh minute, marking the first goal of the game. For the rest of the first half, neither team was able to find the back of the net as both sides made strong offensive and defensive moves to keep the ball out of the other side’s goal. Play was contained in the midfield for much of the first half of the game, and the period ended with NYU up by 1 goal.
Going into the second half, the Spartans began their play with a strong offensive surge, breaking through the Violets’ defense and pushing their backline to its breaking point. This culminated in CWRU’s first and only goal of the game six minutes into the period. Second-year defender and midfielder David Pineda sent the ball into the box before fourth-year forward Kysen Kroeger found the ball and sent it via a header into the goal. With this goal, Kroeger achieved his team-leading sixth goal of the season and the twelfth of his career, while Pineda earned his first career assist.
“I’m really happy to have contributed to the team by providing an assist. Kysen did a great job finishing the play and getting the goal. [I’m] happy to have made an impact, and I hope to keep helping the team in any way I can moving forward,” said Pineda.
Over the next fifteen minutes, CWRU continued their strong offensive play, keeping the pressure on NYU as both teams soldiered on. This offensive surge was not able to produce another goal, however, as 2 shots made by the Spartans were caught by the Violets’ goalkeeper. Similarly, NYU found themselves unable to find the back of the net as both teams fought on for the rest of the half, leaving the final score at a 1-1 draw for the two teams. With this result, CWRU and NYU both moved to 0-0-1 in UAA play. The Spartans recorded 11 shots in the contest, with 9 of them coming in the second half, compared to NYU’s 6 shots.
Reflecting on the game, Pineda noted how many things had gone well for the squad during the contest.
“One of the strategies that worked well was utilizing our wingers more often. We managed to get the ball out to them frequently, allowing them to drive forward and dribble into open space, almost like wingbacks. This helped us control the game and generate a lot of shot opportunities,” Pineda reflected.
As he also noted, however, there was definitely room for improvement by the team.
“Our finishing didn’t go as well as we’d hoped. We created a lot of chances, especially in the second half, but were a bit unlucky when it came to converting those into goals. I’m confident we’ll keep improving in that area,” said Pineda. “NYU definitely brought some tough competition, as they came in strong. However, I think we did a great job of controlling the ball for the majority of the game. The guys really gave it their all, and all the players stepped up to make key contributions when needed.”
The squad will be continuing their UAA play this upcoming weekend. They will be traveling to Atlanta to compete against Emory University on Sunday, Oct. 13.