Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Gracie Villwock vs. CWRU 9-1-26
Peter Wangechi
1
John Carroll JCU (0-1-0, 0-0-0)
2
Winner CWRU CWRU (1-0-0, 0-0-0)
John Carroll JCU
(0-1-0, 0-0-0)
1
Final
2
CWRU CWRU
(1-0-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 0 1 1
CWRU CWRU 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | JCUSID

Women's Soccer Fights but Falls at #11 Case Western Reserve in Opener

Gracie Villwock worked hard for a nice goal, but the Blue Streaks couldn't hold off CWRU

CLEVELAND – The last time that John Carroll and Case Western Reserve faced off on the pitch in women's soccer, the Blue Streaks turned in a massive upset in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Much lower stakes faced the teams today in the 2026 season opener though you always have a bit of a Cleveland rivalry at play here.

Despite fighting hard, John Carroll Women's Soccer experienced a 2-1 defeat to the Spartans.

#11 CWRU entered as the favorites on paper after losing in PKs in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Spartans lost some talent from last season's juggernaut, but still looked plenty formidable. 

The Spartans did not take long to fire in the first goal of the season. The hosts posted the opening volley of the campaign in the 10th minute, setting back the visitors behind early. CWRU prodded JCU in the opening few minutes, forcing Madison Skeese to make a pair of saves.

John Carroll began to find its footing in the midpart of the first half, as Gracie Villwock sent in a pair of shots on goal. But the Spartans turned them away before regaining the momentum and controlling much of the possession for the remainder of the half.

Undeterred, the Blue Streaks fought back into it. In the 72nd minute, the forward line managed to win a ball high up the field. Villwock caught the goalkeeper off her line and put in a great shot. The tally marked Villwock's fourth of her career. 

But as talented teams do, the Spartans scratched and clawed until they found a way to score. Against a young JCU backline, the Spartans managed to find an opening, as Izzy Probst scored her second goal of the game in the 87th minute for the game-winning tally. 

While the Blue Streaks drop the opening, nearly finding a tie against the #11 team in the country is a promising sign early in the year.

"The team put in a ton of effort to get themselves back in the game after going down early," said Head Coach Michael Marich. "To draw even in the second half was amazing. Unfortunately, we fell short, but this match is a great building block for what we want to do. Hopefully with a young roster we'll be able to compete in more games like this one."

Next Up
The Blue Streaks will head to Erie this weekend for the Herb Lauffer Memorial Women's Soccer Tournament. The Blue Streaks will play SUNY Brockport on Saturday at 6 pm.
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors