First Round OAC Tournament vs. JCU

It was a great day for soccer as we entered the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament today! We faced John Carroll University who stunned us in regular play, beating us with only 40 seconds left in overtime. Today the tables turned however as we walked away with a win advancing us to the semi-finals!

Right off the bat the girls were hyped up and ready to battle for redemption! We started off with high pressure in every third of the field forcing many turnovers. When we won the ball we attacked at speed looking to combine and create opportunities. Within the first 10 minutes alone we had 6 shots on goal, one hitting the post and miraculously saved by the keeper. Although we had a total of 14 shots on goal, a corner kick, and countless chances to take the lead we ended the half tied at zeros.

After a short break at the half the Crusaders were rejuvenated and ready to face another 45 minutes of play. We won 50/50 balls out of our midfield and defense and transitioned quickly into the attack. In the first 10 minutes of play we accumulated a corner kick and 4 shots on goal. The JCU attack accumulated a few corner kicks and shots on goal but our defense held strong and cleared away every chance they had. Towards the end of the half we really pushed our play into gear and racked up another 10 shots on goal with 3 more corner kicks! Despite our clearly dominant possession we were unable to sink the ball into the net, so we went into overtime.

The time started and our players went into overdrive as they chased down every opportunity with a drive unmatched by the JCU team. Only 4 minutes into the game, Becca Cartmill won the ball out of the air and dribbled at goal. She blasted a shot at the keeper who blocked it but knocked it loose. Shelby Johnson, already on her run towards goal, put a foot on it and knocked it past the keeper and their tracking defenders into the net winning the game 1-0! This win was well deserved as the entire team put their whole hearts into this game and were able to redeem themselves against JCU.

We will travel to Ohio Northern University on Thursday, November 6 with a kick off at 4pm for the semi-final game! Although it is an away game we do hope to have our CapFam cheering us on and supporting us! GO CRUSADERS!

11/1/14 vs. Baldwin Wallace

Our last regular season game was held this past Saturday at Bernlohr Stadium against Baldwin Wallace. Since our regular conference play was coming to an end the team knew how important this game was in regards to our conference tournament seed and they had prepared tremendously throughout the previous week.

The Crusaders came out of the gates ready to play hard and battle for this win! Only a couple minutes into play we were set up with a free kick just yards outside BW's box. Claire Quinn placed the ball perfectly at the near post where Mary Bushee ran on, used her body and pushed the ball into the net. As we celebrated the goal the ref, however ended our excitement with an offsides call. A wave of defeat swept across our girls as they tried to shake off the sudden halt in momentum. Around 20 minutes into play we caused a foul around half field. With the wind in Baldwin Wallace's favor, their center back struck the ball and it floated across the field and into the top of our goal. Once BW scored their goal we realized that the rest of the game would be a fight for the win. At the end of the half we were losing 0-1.

The team regrouped and made a point to start and maintain the advantage in the second half. We were determined to even the score and played extremely hard to create many opportunities at goal. As we contained the Baldwin Wallace's attack and attempted at our own, the time dwindled down. At the 81st minute we had a corner and everyone knew that they had to make it count. Shelby Johnson played the ball in to the box and each team scrambled to gain possession. The ball was knocked out but met by Becca Cartmill who reserved it into the box. Morgan Austin made contact and the ball ended up in the vicinity of  Mary Bushee who got a head on it and placed it side netting! With the game tied 1-1 the Crusaders took the momentum of the goal and attacked the BW defense. Although tremendous effort was made to go forward we were unable to score ending regular time in a tie.

Our team knew the reality of overtime in the fact that they could end it as quickly as they wanted. They had momentum and a great desire to win the game which translated onto the field. In the first 6 minutes we accumulated 3 corner kicks and 5 shots on goal. In the 7th minute we were fouled around the 25 yard mark. Claire Quinn saw an opportunity far post and put the ball exactly there. Waiting was Mariah Richards who gained an advantage over a defender, put her head on the ball and knocked it far post into the goal! We had won the game and the team was overjoyed as they bombarded the field!

We ended regular play third in the conference. Our first tournament game is tomorrow November 4th at home against John Carroll University. We kick off at 2pm! See you there!

Senior Night

Last night we played against Heidelberg! There was a great energy in our stadium as we honored our one and only senior Jessica Cermelj! She is the lone survivor of her incoming class as she persevered through her 4 years! Not only has Jess made it four year on this team but she has also left her legacy behind. She puts her whole heart into everything she does and it really shows how much she cares about this team and her teammates! During the game against Heidelberg Jess gained a point as she had 1 assist and 2 shots on goal! She battled hard and contributed to our team win 5-1!

 

 

 

 As the game started Heidelberg took off on the offensive. Our girls struggled to adjust to the game at first, allowing a goal by heidelberg in a moment of weakness. Once they realized that we were down they huddled up and decided to change the way they were playing and to take control of the game. 4 minutes after the Heidelberg goal Jess Cermelj found the ball in the middle of the Field and played it through the defense to Becca Cartmill who ran on, took the keeper and placed the ball in the back of the net! After the first goal the Crusaders kept the momentum and really took it to Heidelberg. Our next goal came from Mary Bushee who won the ball in the back on defense, took her space and dribbled aggressively up the field. She found herself at the top of the box and ambitiously took a shot which landed in the far side of the net! Soon after our second goal a great defensive act kept the scoring going. Taylor Atkins and Shelby Johnson both pressured the ball up top and Shelby won the ball and took off towards goal. Shelby blasted the ball past the goalie leaving us in the lead 3-1 at the end of the first half!

In the second half we changed up our lineup and went into full attack mode. The girls came out strong and determined to keep the scoring going. 8 minutes into the half Amanda Kachaylo received the ball out wide and took on her defender towards goal. She beat the Heidelberg D and slotted the ball across the box to Mary Bushee who shot the ball and it landed in the back of the net! Again a few minutes later, Amanda Kachaylo took on a defender, beat her and then passed the ball on to Becca Cartmill who shot far post and hit the side netting! We ended the game winning 5-1!

Not only was the win a wonderful way to end senior night for Jess, but also a great way to pick up our attack and work great together as a team! Our next game is this Saturday against Baldwin Wallace! We will face off at Bernlohr Stadium at 11am! Come out and support us with your Purple Pride!!

10/25 vs. John Carroll

On Saturday we travelled to John Carroll for a tough game that left us all feeling disheartened.

As we step onto the field for the first half the team had a great energy about them and within minutes we were set up with a corner kick. Claire Quinn placed the ball at the corner and hit it perfectly near post to Maura Fortino who was ready at the near post! Maura flicked the ball with her head past the keeper and into the goal! The girls were ecstatic as they took the lead. The energy stayed consistant through the first half as we fought for possession and to increase our lead. At the half we were up 1-0.

As the second half began both teams were struggling to gain the upper hand. We gave up a corner kick and John Carroll took advantage of their opportunity. The ball was played into the box where both teams fought to win the ball. As the box flooded with people the ball was kicked past our keeper tying up the game at 1s. For the rest of the half we went on the offensive and had countless opportunities to finish the game. Unfortunately however we were unable to sink our chance. At the end of regular time the game was still tied 1-1 so we went into overtime.

Going into overtime the girls came out fierce and created opportunities that we again were unable to capitalize on. After the first ten minutes the girls came off the field to recoop and prepare for the second overtime. We fought hard and both teams were exhausted as we tried to gain the upper hand. We held out strong until the last minute when their team played a ball over our backs heads. They tracked fast but were unable to stop the JCU forward as she placed the ball past our keeper and into the net. The game was over and a wave of defeat swept our team. We had many opportunities to put the game away but were unsuccessful in our attempts.

After the game however our parents were there to cheer the girls up and feed them with a wonderful meal! We thank you so much for all the effort and time you put into making our players feel at home and giving them a much needed emotional boost after a tough loss.

We have two days of hard work ahead of us in prepartation for our senior night Wednesday against Heidelberg. Kick off is at 4pm. Please come and cheer on your Crusaders and our one and only senior Jessica Cermelj! GO CRUSADERS!

10/21 vs. Marietta

Yesterday we took the 2 hour drive out to Marietta to play in our 6th conference game. As soon as we got there the bad weather started to come down on us. The field was already muddy and slick and the consistent rain made it even more challenging. Despite the clear negatives of the weather and the beaten down field our Crusaders came out strong and determined to make a statement. The team worked well together and transitioned quickly creating a ton of scoring opportunities! In the first half alone we had 14 shots on goal resulting in 3 goals! The first was a cross from Amanda Kachaylo which was run down by Chloe Brown who placed it far post! Only four minutes later we scored again when Maura Fortino slotted the ball across the box where Amanda Kachaylo got on the end of it and finished! Then again 5 minutes later Becca Cartmill struck the ball towards goal, the goalie deflected it and Becca, who didn't give up on the shot, followed up and hit it into the goal! Her tenacity and efforts from the team left us up 3-0 at the half.

Going into the second half the girls were pumped from our success in the first half. They came out fierce and quickly began to attack creating more scoring opportunities. Five minutes into the second half Maura Fortino, once again, crossed the ball through the box to Amanda Kachaylo who placed it in the lower far corner! After the momentum of a quick goal the girls won the ball back. Claire Quinn took a shot from outside the box that hit the cross bar and bounced back into the box, Maura Fortino quickly saw the ball coming back out and sprinted to finish! 10 minutes later we gained a corner kick which was struck nicely by Claire Quinn. The ball was greeted by Mariah Richards at the near post who jumped up and headed it down and into the box! 9 minutes after that Monique Hanayik dribbled the ball down the field, took it to the end line and slotted it back towards Shelby Johnson who was making her way to goal. Shelby placed the ball one time past the keeper for our final goal of the game!

The Crusaders moved the ball quickly and fought hard for every 50/50 chance and we really used this game as an opportunity to get better and gain confidence in our attack. We had great efforts individually and as a group which is why we were able to create and finish so many opportunities! We are excited to face John Carroll this Saturday at 6pm at their field! Preparation and determination are key the next few days as we prepare for our next opportunity for greatness!