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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
WSOC Team photo after win over CWRU
The Blue Streaks defeated the 2022 NCAA Division III Runners-Up on their home pitch. 
1
Winner John Carroll JCU (15-1-5, 8-0-1)
0
CWRU CWRU (12-2-4, 3-1-3)
Winner
John Carroll JCU
(15-1-5, 8-0-1)
1
Final
0
CWRU CWRU
(12-2-4, 3-1-3)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 1 0 1
CWRU CWRU 0 0 0

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

STILL DANCING! Women's Soccer Upsets #8 Spartans in Second Round Thriller

CLEVELAND – In an exhilarating battle of Cleveland's two Division III soccer powers, John Carroll Women's Soccer slayed the juggernaut Case Western Reserve University.

The Blue Streaks upset the #8 Spartans, the 2022 NCAA Division III Runners-Up, on their home turf of DiSanto Field, surviving a 1-0 thrilling Second Round NCAA Tournament match. 

The magical season will continue for the Blue Streaks into the Sweet Sixteen, marking the first such trip in program history. John Carroll will face Massachusetts Institute of Technology at a site, date, and time to be determined. 

"This is amazing for the program. It's been a record year for us as a program," said Head Coach Michael Marich. "First time in over 20 years making the NCAA Tournament, so it's about more than just this team, it's about the history. This team keeps succeeding in a fashion that should make everyone proud, both current players, past players, and our families." 

The match was a thrilling, end-to-end affair with non-stop action. It was one of those games where if you looked down if only for a moment, you missed an exciting play. 

The programs are no strangers to each other. The Blue Streaks and Spartans met in the season opener way back on September 1. In that clash (also at DiSanto Field), the Spartans prevailed, 2-1. Since then, John Carroll has not lost. 

The teams traded shots in the early going, as the Blue Streaks showed no nerves against the favored Spartans, enjoying more than their fair share of early possession. Alli Malinky tallied a pair of early chances on net. In the 10th minute, Madyson Rosado looked to have a clear breakaway, but the Spartans tripped the junior. The referee issued an early booking to the Spartan defender, giving her a yellow card. 

Kathryn Shaffer tried to repeat the magic from yesterday on the ensuing free kick, but the volley sailed above the crossbar. The game then experienced a see-saw effect, with the teams trading promising chances. 

As the match approached the midway mark of the first half, the Spartans started to break down the JCU attack and create formidable chances. The Spartans tallied a couple decent chances on net as well as a couple of dangerous looking shots that sailed high. 

But it would be the underdog Blue Streaks to get on the board first. 

John Carroll earned a nice corner kick following a promising opportunity. The CWRU goalie pawed the ball away to the right side of the net out of harm's way. Madyson Rosado handled it, and tabbed it back to Abby Walker. The freshman immediately charged to the ball and lofted a right-footed shot just off the keeper's outstretched hands and into the net. 

"It felt great. We knew we had to take every chance to get forward and get shots on goal," said Walker. "We had a set piece, and I knew I had to push forward and take any opportunity I had. When the ball came to me, I knew I had to take the shot, it went in, and we were all pretty excited."

The goal in the 26th minute marked Walker's first of the campaign, and showcased just how dangerous the Blue Streaks have been this season. The Edinboro, PA native is the 11th Blue Streak to find twine this year. 

The Spartans responded with a no-holds-barred assault, as one might have expected. The #8 Spartans lurched off the mat with a newfound aggressiveness, peppering the Blue Streaks with chances. While the awakened giant threatened, the Spartans could not successfully counter. Case Western Reserve tallied two shots on net against Kosier, and then five straight shots off target.

John Carroll at last managed a counterattack in the 37th minute, with a corner kick followed by a Gianna Merlo shot low left that was saved, and then another corner kick. Having stopped those chances, CWRU went on the offensive in the waning minutes, with a pair of corner kicks. The visitors stopped these chances and took a breath, leading 1-0 at half. 

The Spartans enjoyed a commanding lead in shots at half, 14-6, though shots on goal were closer at 5-4 CWRU. JCU's backline did a phenomenal job in the opening half, as Gabriella Walter, Shaffer, Taylor Wohleber, Brooke Kelly, and several others provided necessary clears.

Case Western Reserve burst out of the break, with several promising chances in the opening minutes of the stanza. The Spartans hit a shot wide early in the 50th minute and then kept up the pressure following the goal kick, with Kosier making a save that bounced around in the box before a JCU clearance. 

Rosado looked to respond, but was called for an offsides. That didn't deter JCU, as the visitors built up another couple tries before the Spartans went back on the attack. Kosier did not wilt, turning away opportunity after opportunity, including a shot off a free kick in the 57th minute. 

"Knowing we were up by one helped a lot," said Kosier. "We kept composed and made sure our defense stayed together. The defense was insane. I couldn't be happier with how they performed. It would have been a lot different game if they didn't show up today."

The Spartans enjoyed the majority of possession in the first portion of the second half. Emily Patrzyk did her best to counter, with several promising opportunities, including one in the 68th minute off a Walter throughball. But then the Spartans got back to possessing the ball, continuing to run into the teeth of Walter and the JCU backline. 

"Our backline, including Kathryn, Gabby, and Taylor, are led by veterans who have been through it all and led us through the ups and downs of the season," said Marich. "They keep finding ways to win games to extend their senior season, which is what we love."

With less than 10 minutes remaining, the pressure intensified. The Spartans got a corner kick in the 81st minute and then a free kick in the 83rd minute. A minute later, Kosier took a hard hit by a CWRU forward, but stayed in the match and bravely got a save a minute later.  

The Spartans continued the all-out assault in the final minutes, but the Blue Streaks hung on. 

"When you get to this level, every match comes down to the wire," said Marich. "Obviously Case is one of the top teams in the country. They fought that way and showed it all year long. It was great to see us get started well in the first half, and the way we fought to keep that lead in the second half was unbelievable."

As you look at the statsheet, the Spartans' offensive assault was impressive. Case Western Reserve outshot JCU, 32-9, including 18-3 in the second half. The shots on goal were just as lopsided at 14-4. The Spartans held JCU without a shot on target in the second half while forcing Kosier to make 9 saves.

But Kosier and the backline held things together. The freshman from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin tallied a season-high 14 saves with a nice JCU crowd at her back. 

"It was nice having the fans here," said Kosier. "The last championship game, we had a student section, which helped a lot. Not having to change our routine or schedule was nice."

The Blue Streaks will keep dancing, heading to the Sweet Sixteen at a location to be determined. The opponent will be MIT, a team the Blue Streaks have not previously played. 

Whatever location the journey takes the Blue Streaks to next, John Carroll keeps dancing to the Sweet Sixteen in a season that certainly now stands on its own as the most magical one in program history. 

"It feels amazing," said Walker. "We saw this team in the first game of the season, and we knew they were going to be reality strong. We competed with them really well, but they are a great team. We knew we had to give it our all. To win today is very meaningful to myself and the whole team."
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