The women’s soccer team closed out its season with a win against Hiram College last Saturday and a tie with Case Western Reserve University on Tuesday.

The game against Case proved to be a battle against odds, with the cold and snowy weather and the opponent’s sloping field, as the game went into double overtime with the end result 0-0.

“Any time you play away, you have to adjust to the weather and different field conditions,” head coach Jane Wildman said. “These factors affect the quality of play, which was fairly low on both sides. We had a tough time getting possession of the ball and keeping it for very long. And not a lot of possessions leads to not as many scoring opportunities.”

Substitutions were rare in this particular game as in the past, due to weather conditions and a different strategy.

“It’s difficult to sit [in the cold] and then come in and play at 100 percent,” Wildman said. “If a player is struggling within the first 10 minutes, a quick substitution needs to be made because everyone on the field needs to be at 100 percent. We also gave the players on the field longer opportunities to see what they could do.”

Saturday’s home game against Hiram ended in a 7-3 rout.

“We let the offense rip in the Hiram game but conceded three goals that shouldn’t have been allowed,” sophomore goalkeeper Alison Palmer said.
“Having given up three goals as a team…was extra incentive to shut out Case in our final game of the season,” junior Chelsea Wallis said.

Senior Courtney Stackhouse was the leading scorer of the Hiram game, scoring four goals with an assist. Stackhouse was absent most of the season due to a leg injury.

“It was great to see Courtney take control of their goalie and put away four goals in the Hiram game,” Wallis said.

“The win was bittersweet,” Wildman said. “It was great that Courtney came back from her injury, but we were also able to see the potential she could’ve added to the overall efforts of the team.”

Junior Tessa Stevens won the ball several times for the team. Junior Sarah Kipp also had a good game with three assists and one goal.
“This season was valuable for the team realizing that they can play against anyone if they have the confidence within themselves,” Wildman said. “Seven out of the 10 losses were by one goal.”

The leading scorer this season was Stackhouse with 10 goals, two assists and 22 points. Kipp was next with four goals, six assists and 14 points. Junior Mara Brecht contributed with three goals, three assists and nine points.

With this season gone, the team looks ahead to 2003.

“By the end of the season we were a heavy hitting team, and I’d like to see us come out strong right from the beginning next season,” Wallis said.
“Little by little we’re acquiring players that are making immediate impacts, and that’s what will keep the team advancing in the conference,” Palmer said.

“We need to play two great halves on the same day,” Wildman said. “I was pleased with the overall intensity of the [Hiram] game as far as improvement. In the future, we need to do a better job of maintaining intensity.”