Behind three second half goals, the 11th-ranked Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team defeated Capital University 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at DiSanto Field in Cleveland as the team celebrated Senior Day with a victory.
The Spartans improved to 3-0-0 this season, while the Comets dropped to 1-1-0.
Stats and Standouts
- Three different Spartans scored in the contest: first-year Sonora Hale, junior Ashley Liang, and junior Abby Welker
- Hale added an assist as did sophomore Izzy Probst, who has tallied a point in all three games for CWRU
- Probst led the team with three shots (two on target) with Hale, Welker, senior Kat Tsarouhas, and sophomore Emily Callanen each added two shots
- Tsarouhas and sophomore Mia Modrovich both played all 90 minutes on the backline for Case Western Reserve
- Junior Ellie Palaian saved three shots, picking up her third win of the campaign in front of the net
First Half
- Both teams had attempts on goal in the first five minutes, but both shots were saved by the goalkeepers
- 10 minutes later, CWRU nearly scored off a corner kick, but both shots again were saved, keeping the game scoreless
- Neither team was able to find the back of the net for the rest of the first half, leading to a 0-0 scoreline at the break
Second Half
- The Spartans quickly broke the deadlock in the 47th minute when Hale scored her third goal of the season
- Probst fed a pass to Hale in the middle of the box, the first-year player fought off a defender, and beat the goalkeeper to put CWRU on the board
- Probst earned her team-leading third assist of the season and her squad-leading ninth point of the campaign
- The Comets equalized nine minutes later, scoring on a free kick that was deflected off a Spartan defender
- In the 60th minute, Probst worked her way down the sideline and into the box, where she was brought down by a foul
- Liang converted the ensuing penalty kick from the spot, netting her first career game-winning goal
- Both teams continued to press over the remaining half hour with CWRU taking two shots and Capital taking one on goal
- With just over five minutes left in the game, Hale fired a shot from long range that hit the crossbar
- Welker was alone in the middle of the box, corralled the ricochet, and scored her first goal of the year
- Capital made one more last-minute attempt, but the Spartans held on for the victory
Spartan Notes
- The Spartans improved to 7-0-0 all-time against the Comets
- Case Western Reserve has not lost a regular season non-conference contest in 66 games, going 61-0-5 dating back to 2018
- CWRU held a 14-7 advantage in shots and 8-4 edge in shots on goal in the game
- Hale tied Probst for the team lead with her third goal of the year
- The penalty kick goal was the first for the Spartans since November 16, 2024, when Sydney Schenk converted from the spot in the NCAA First Round win over Skidmore
- Prior to the contest, the team honored its nine graduating players as part of Senior Day. The nine soon-to-be graduates are Kaylee Bannack, Talia Ciralsky, Sadie DeAngelo, Maya Healy, Marina Morris, Abby Noah, Avery Reiman, Angelee Rodriguez, and Tsarouhas
Up Next
CWRU will make the short trek to Berea, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 9 to face Baldwin Wallace. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.