The Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team defeated the University of Chicago 3-2 on Friday evening at the Stagg Grass Field in Chicago to earn its first University Athletic Association victory of the season.

The Spartans improved to 8-2-4 overall and 1-2-1 in UAA play, while the Maroons fell to 9-5-1 and 1-3-0 in conference play.

Case Western Reserve scored quickly, netting a goal two minutes and 33 seconds into the contest. Junior Alexis Sassower recorded an unassisted goal, her team-leading sixth strike of the season.

The Maroons quickly countered, tying the score just two and a half minutes later with their first shot in the game.

First-year Taylor Brackett, who entered the game in the 23rd minute, put the visitors ahead once again on her second goal of the season in the 28th minute of play. First-year Abby Welker earned her third assist on the play.

With neither team able to find the back of the net over the next quarter hour, the Spartans led 2-1 at halftime.

After both teams put shots on goal to start the second half, CWRU increased its lead in the 51st minute. Senior Sydney Schenk netted her fourth goal of the season with Sassower collecting her team-leading fourth assist. The goal proved to be the game-winning strike as Chicago scored in the 73rd minute to make the score 3-2.

Graduate student goalkeeper Maggie Storti saved a shot in the final five minutes of play, the only one on goal by the hosts for the rest of the contest, to secure the road win. Storti totaled four saves in 90 minutes in front of the net.

Overall, the Spartans held a 10-9 edge in shots with both teams putting six shots on goal. Sassower, Schenk, senior Carolyn Koutures, and junior Julia Flynn all had two attempts for Case Western Reserve.

CWRU will finish its two-game weekend road trip with a matchup against top-ranked WashU on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET. The Bears are the number one team in both the Division III United Soccer Coaches Poll and the NCAA Power Index.

Spartan Notes

• The Spartans improved to 9-24-5 all-time against Chicago, having not lost in the regular season to the Maroons since 2018
• In the latest NPI calculations released by the NCAA, CWRU ranked 41st in Division III and Chicago ranked 37th. With the win over a higher rated opponent that is also above the quality win bonus line, the Spartans will increase their NPI rating in the next calculation. NPI rankings are used to determine the at-large selections to the NCAA Tournament
• CWRU moved into a tie for fifth with NYU at four points in the UAA standings with the win
• Sassower scored her eighth career goal and recorded her seventh career assist in the contest. It was the second time this season that she had a goal and assist in the same game after achieving the feat in a 3-2 win over Puget Sound on September 6
• Brackett, who has appeared in 10 of the team's 14 games, recorded her second career goal
• Schenk's goal was the eighth of her career and gave her 28 career points. It was also her first game-winning goal in 2024 and the third game-winning goal of her career