Over this past week, the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team continued their domination on the field as they defeated a trio of opponents on the road: John Carroll University (6-0), Grove City College (6-0), and Heidelberg University (1-0).
With the conclusion of these three matches, CWRU’s record for the 2025 season improves to 5-0-0, extending a non-conference regular season unbeaten streak that has remained intact since 2018.
“I am very proud of the team and our performance the first couple games,” fourth-year forward Maggie Farra said. “When we are up by 3 or 4 goals, it is easy to lose intensity offensively and lose focus defensively. In these situations, offensively we have kept pushing ourselves to score more and defensively we have not conceded any goals so far, which is a huge accomplishment. During games, I think we have adapted well to our opponents and understanding what has been working or not working for us in that game.”
The Spartans opened their three-game stretch with a short trip to University Heights, Ohio, to take on John Carroll on Sept. 3. The matchup carried extra weight, as the teams’ last meeting came in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where JCU eliminated CWRU 1-0 on DiSanto Field.
As the game kicked off, the squad wasted no time getting into action. Within the first two minutes of the match, they already had a point on the scoreboard courtesy of Farra. Following several attempted shots by both sides for the next several minutes, the second goal of the game would come from fourth-year midfielder Ceci Dapino in the 16th minute of the period, putting the score up to 2-0.
Fourth-year midfielder/forward Molly Shamah scored the third point of the game for the Spartans nearly 23 minutes into the period, while Farra scored again six minutes later. CWRU continued to dominate during the second half, scoring an additional two shots during the period to set the final score for the game at 6-0. The first of these came from fourth-year midfielder and co-captain Mackenzie Mueller during the 51st minute while the second would come from Farra yet again less than four minutes later.
Farra would accomplish a hat trick with this third shot, marking her second in three consecutive games and making her the first player in CWRU women’s soccer history to record multiple hat tricks in their career, let alone a single season.
On Sept. 6, the Spartans traveled to Grove City, Pennsylvania, to take on the Wolverines. As the game commenced, the Spartans attempted multiple shots which were saved by Grove City’s goalkeeper. Nearly 20 minutes in, fourth-year forward and co-captain Alexis Sassower broke through with the opening goal, followed by Farra, who added a goal of her own five minutes later. At the 38:17 mark, first-year forward/midfielder Izzy Probst found the back of the net—the second of her collegiate career. This was further succeeded by a header goal three minutes later by second-year midfielder Abby Welker, marking her first collegiate goal.
The squad’s momentum would not slow down during the second half, as their fifth goal of the match would come five minutes into the period from Shamah. A strong defensive effort throughout the game by the Spartans prevented the Wolverines from attempting many shots—with those that were attempted being blocked by second-year goalkeeper Ellie Palaian. CWRU’s final goal of the game would come in the 69th minute courtesy of fourth-year midfielder/forward Andrea Silva, setting the final score of the game at 6-0.
At the start of this week, the Spartans made the trip to Tiffin, Ohio on Sept. 9 to face off against Heidelberg University. Although CWRU outshot Heidelberg 22-1, the game was defined by strong defensive play on both sides. The lone goal came in the 15th minute, when Dapino capitalized on a loose cross in the box and headed it in for the 12th goal of her career. Nonetheless, this was enough for the Spartans to come out on top, keeping their years-long non-conference undefeated streak alive.
Farra, who scored four goals over the week, earned multiple honors: UAA Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8), Spartan Club Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8) and NCAA D3 Women’s Player of the Week from Top Drawer Soccer for the week of Aug. 29. She now leads the nation with eight goals in just four games.
Reflecting on these past three games, Farra noted the importance of the team maintaining the momentum they have carried so far.
“Moving forward, it will be important for us to keep the momentum we have gained during our first couple of weeks,” Farra said. “Our games ahead are very strong opponents, which will be a great challenge for us that we are excited for. [We] have to carry the same focus and intensity from our first games into the next ones.”
Indeed, the squad will be up for a challenge soon, as on Friday Sept. 12 they will be traveling to Delaware, Ohio to take on third-ranked Christopher Newport University. A win would give CWRU a statement victory over a national powerhouse, while a loss would bring an end to their long-running non-conference unbeaten streak.