The Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team is coming off a week where they won one, lost one and learned a whole lot about who they are as a team.

Playing Tuesday, Sept. 29 the Spartans were able to emerge victorious 2-0 over the Kenyon College Ladies. It was a match that saw a scoreless first half, but a goal 30 seconds into the second by second-year student Elle Zadina.

Coming out of the half, Head Coach Tiffany Crooks urged the team to focus on their play in the midfield, as they have been playing a new formation and needed to continue to gel. With the application of the halftime message, Crooks said, “This resulted in an immediate chance from a service by Meredith Shea, a great battle to keep the keeper from securing the ball by Rachel Hammond, and a clean finish from Elle [Zadina].”

With a team effort in getting this first goal of the game, the Spartans were able to get fourth-year student Makenzie Best a late goal and come away with the win over a scorching Kenyon team, which had won seven straight coming in. The women actually got rained on throughout the match, and it was ended three minutes early; Crooks did not have a problem with how the game progressed throughout the game or with ending early, as it was best to prevent injuries.

Saturday, Oct. 3, the Spartans traveled to New York University, and were unable to get much going in a 2-0 loss to the Violets. This was their opening University Athletic Association conference game, and while starting with a loss, Crooks was not discouraged. She said that NYU was an “athletic and disciplined team,” and commented that they were able to just get two shots from distance to find twine.

The Spartans were not able to find their rhythm until late in the game, and will move on with a chip on their shoulder ready to get back in the groove in future conference games. Coach Crooks concluded by saying she had no worries about her team, that “they have adopted an underdog mentality and love to compete against the best in the country.”

They will come away from this week with key lessons learned, namely, as Crooks said, “now we’ve learned that we have the versatility to make in-game changes and play various systems.” With goalkeepers in good form, a team starting to gel in a new formation and good leadership all around the pitch, the CWRU women’s soccer team should be able to build on a 1-1 week in the upcoming stretch of the season. There is no doubt in Crooks’ mind, nor should there be in our’s, that the ladies have their best soccer yet to come.