The Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team earned its first win in conference play on Sunday morning at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium in Newark, New Jersey, defeating New York University 1-0.

The Spartans improved to 7-3-5 overall and 1-2-2 in University Athletic Association contests, while the Violets dropped to 3-9-1 in 2025 and 1-4-0 in the UAA

Stats and Standouts

• Sophomore Ashton McNally scored the game's lone goal in the 59th minute with an assist from senior McLaren Baggett
• Senior goalkeeper Bradley Winter earned his 10th shutout of the season and 22nd of his career, adding to his program records in both time stretches
• Winter lowered his goals against average to 0.40 in 2025, which would rank third in program history
• CWRU held NYU without a shot in the second half and did not allow the Violets to put a shot on goal in the game
• Offensively, the Spartans had 17 shots, including five on target, led by three from junior Ohta Kamiya

First Half

• Shots were at a premium in the early part of the game, with the teams combining for three attempts in the first 20 minutes
• A pair of Spartan shots required saves, while the Violets missed the frame on both of their opportunities, their lone two attempts in the entire 90 minutes
• NYU earned the first corner kick of the game in the 27th minute, but a foul in the box nullified the threat
• Junior Adam Pluszczyk had a shot blocked in the box in a 1-on-1 situation, leading to a Spartan corner in the 32nd minute
• CWRU was unable to convert the corner, and a shot on a free kick a few seconds later was also blocked
• It marked the last legitimate chance for either team for the remainder of the first half

Second Half

• Case Western Reserve earned a corner kick just a few minutes into the second period, but were unable to attempt a shot on the set piece
• Junior Owen Guffey had the first shot of the half, missing the frame wide from just outside the box
• McNally broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, scoring his first goal of the season
• After CWRU forced a turnover in the attacking third, Baggett sent a through ball into the middle of the box
• McNally slid, beat the goalkeeper to the ball, and sent it into the back of the net to secure the 1-0 lead
• Baggett was credited with the assist, his first of the season and the second of his career
• CWRU maintained a strong offensive presence, earning a pair of corner kicks within the next few minutes of play
• The Violets threatened in the 85th minute, but the strong Spartan defense prevented NYU from getting off a shot
• Looking to put the game away, a header shot by Kamiya hit the crossbar 30 seconds later
• The hosts had a late chance in the 87th minute, taking a free kick on the end line just outside the box. The low cross hit the Spartan wall, and the ball went harmlessly out of play for a goal kick
• Kamiya attempted a long shot with two-and-a-half minutes remaining, requiring a diving save
• In a frantic end to the game, the hosts managed to get the ball into the box twice, but Winter was able to collect it both times to secure the win

Spartan Notes

• CWRU improved to 12-16-3 against NYU since 1994, including a 3-0-1 stretch in the last four meetings between the teams
• The goal was the first for CWRU in 348 minutes, with the Spartans held scoreless in their last three games
• Case Western Reserve secured its first conference win since a 2-0 victory over Carnegie Mellon on November 4, 2023, and its first overall victory since a 3-0 triumph over Marietta on September 17
• McNally became the ninth different player to score a goal for CWRU this season, and Baggett is the ninth Spartan to earn an assist
• Case Western Reserve has allowed one or fewer goals in 14 of the team's 15 contests, limiting opponents to an average 7.8 shots and 2.4 shots on goal per game
• The Spartans moved into a tie for fifth in the conference standings with five points. WashU leads the league with 12 points (4-1-0), followed by Chicago with 11 points (3-0-2), Rochester (2-2-1), and Emory (1-1-3). Two games remain in league play

Up Next

The Spartans return home for their final contest at DiSanto Field this season, hosting second-ranked Emory University on Saturday, November 1 at 11 a.m. Prior to the match, the team will honor its graduating players with Senior Day ceremonies.