Unlucky was the word Head Coach Tiffany Crooks used to describe the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer match against Denison University.

The nail-biting 2-1 loss came at home on Tuesday, Sept. 25, snapping the Spartans’ four-game win streak. Prior to this loss, the Spartans won two games, an overtime 1-0 win at College of Wooster on Tuesday, Sept. 18 and a 3-0 win at Washington & Jefferson College on Sunday, Sept. 23.   

“The loss was a tough one. It was a very unlucky night for us,” Crooks said. “Denison is a really good team, [No.] 2 in our region. We outshot them and hit three crossbars. Their game-winning goal came off a deflection as well. It just wasn’t meant to be for us.”

Earlier in the game, the Spartans struck during the 59th minute when first-year forward Christina Hickson scored off a deflected goal from first-year midfielder Taylor Bova.

Denison came back with a goal in the 73rd minute and netted the game-deciding goal in the 87th minute.

The team also struggled against Wooster, particularly with defense, but they ultimately came out on top. The tough defense was spearheaded by second-year goalkeeper Lauren Metz, who had five saves during the match.

On the offensive side, Hickson, Bova and third-year forward Kimberly Chen recorded two shots. The game remained tied at zero and went into overtime.

In the overtime period, CWRU scored the game-winning goal, with fourth-year midfielder Emily Dickens receiving a pass from first-year forward Ella Copich and placing it past the Wooster goalkeeper during the 97th minute.

“This group is learning how to be winners, and [overtime] experiences have been very valuable for our future as a team,” Crooks said.

Against Washington & Jefferson, the Spartan offense erupted.  The team scored three goals in the first 30 minutes of the match.

Dickens started off the scoring in the fourth minute, with a goal off of a free kick that was just outside the box. Fourth-year forward Melanie Kukura added to this lead six minutes later with a goal in the bottom right corner. In the 27th minute, Copich caught a loose ball and slipped it past the keeper.

The team cruised on from there until the end of the game. Overall, the team outshot Washington & Jefferson, with a 9-3 advantage of shots on goal.   

The Spartans ended their week with two wins after the rocky start, bringing their overall season record to 5-3.

The team will open its University Athletic Association (UAA) part of the season against No. 12 Brandeis University on Saturday, Sept. 29.

“This week is great for us. Denison and Brandeis play similarly, so we are looking at Denison as a primer to Brandeis,” Crooks said. “But, we certainly got better and showed ourselves we are ready to compete in that environment. I think it will give us momentum heading into the UAA season.”