The Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team secured its spot in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship with a 4-3 First Round victory over Skidmore College at Shoemaker Field in Chatham, Pennsylvania, on the campus of Messiah University on Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans, who will face fifth-ranked Messiah in the second round on Sunday at 1 p.m., improved to 9-4-5 on the season. The Thoroughbreds concluded their season with a record of 11-4-3.

With the score tied at three and under six minutes to play, junior Ceci Dapino sent a free kick into the box. Junior Jamie Goldfarb ran to the ball, deflecting it with her head into the lower corner of the goal. The shot passed the Skidmore goalkeeper and into the back of the net for the game-winning score. It was her third goal of the season with all three winning games for Case Western Reserve. Dapino earned her fourth assist of the season and second of the game on the play.

The first goal of the game came in the seventh minute. CWRU earned a penalty kick after drawing a foul in the box. Senior Sydney Schenk converted from the spot, giving the Spartans an early lead. It was her sixth goal of the season and her first career penalty kick attempt.

Case Western Reserve doubled its lead in the 26th minute on a goal by junior Molly Shamah. Shamah collected the ball near the top of the box, dribbled into the far-right corner, and fired a shot past the Skidmore goalkeeper. It was Shamah's team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Skidmore interrupted the shutout with a goal just two minutes later, scoring on a long-distance strike.

The Spartans rebuilt their two-goal advantage less than four minutes into the second half. Dapino battled the Skidmore defenders in the box, and sent a cross to junior Alexis Sassower, who was unmarked in the middle of the field. Sassower chipped a shot into the lower corner, increasing the lead to 3-1. Sassower scored her seventh goal of the season, and Dapino earned her first assist of the game.

The Thoroughbreds converted a penalty kick in the 69th minute to cut their deficit to one, and two minutes later, scored on a free kick from just outside the box to tie the score.

The teams battled over the ensuing 14 minutes before Goldfarb put the Spartans ahead. Skidmore's final opportunity was saved by graduate student goalkeeper Maggie Storti with just over two minutes left in regulation.

Overall, CWRU held a 24-9 advantage in shots and 12-5 edge in shots on goal. Dapino and Shamah both had a team-high five shots with Shamah and Goldfarb each putting four shots on target.

Spartan Notes

• CWRU is making its fifth consecutive and sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans improved to 10-4-1 in postseason contests since their first appearance in 2011. The team has advanced to the second round in five of its postseason tournaments
• Case Western Reserve had never faced Skidmore before in program history
• The Spartans have had four different goal scorers in three contests this season, achieving the feat in 5-0 wins over Mount Union on September 18 and Kenyon on August 30
• Head Coach Alyssa Johnson earned her first career postseason win in charge of a program in her sixth career season. This is her first year at CWRU after five seasons coaching at Bethany College
• Dapino earned two assists in a game for the second time in her career, also assisting on two goals in a 4-0 victory over Otterbein on September 4, 2022
• Goldfarb and Sassower each scored the eighth goals of their careers, while Schenk tallied her ninth career score