The Elizabethtown College women’s soccer team went up against Catholic University of America in a double overtime game Saturday, Oct. 7.
Going into the first half, the women focused on keeping the ball on the opposing team’s half and pressuring the Cardinals’ defense throughout the attack. The number of shots by both teams was impressive with Etown at 27 and Catholic at 28 by the end of the game. Both teams only had 12 of these shots on target with Catholic taking the win at 4-3 in double overtime.
The first two goals were scored by Catholic and then Etown answered in the 54th minute. Sophomore Lydia Lawson earned two goals three minutes apart in the 54th and 57th minutes.
“My goals gave us momentum and then we were able to put another one in to take the lead,” Lawson said.
She explained that momentum was a huge part of this game. The Blue Jays knew they had to play as a team in order to connect passes. They did not give up, even when they were losing by two goals.
Three minutes from Lawson’s second goal, junior Sophie McKnight made a shot from 35 yards away, putting the Blue Jays in the lead.
Catholic managed to score with 53 seconds left to push the game into overtime. After a scoreless 10 minutes, the game went into double overtime until Catholic earned a free kick from 25 yards out, locking in a 4-3 win for the Cardinals.
“It was a frustrating loss because we definitely had chances,” sophomore Kristen Wilkinson said. “Preparing for Moravian on Wednesday, we need to be focused on defensive pressure as a team.”
Looking at the statistics, it is apparent that the Blue Jays failed to capitalize on the many chances they had to score.
The team was back home on Wolf Field Wednesday, Oct. 11 to take on Landmark Conference opponent Moravian College.
First-year Janelle Barna scored the only goal of the game 40 minutes in. Assisted by senior Lindsay Hoagland, Barna’s goal put the Blue Jays up 1-0, a lead they held for throughout the rest of the game to earn the win over the Greyhounds.
Moravian had 15 shots to Etown’s seven, and Etown goalie Hailey Parks had five saves in the shutout.
The Blue Jays are now 8-3-1, 2-2 Landmark, heading into the final stretch of the season.
The team will be back on the road Saturday, Oct. 14 to take on Goucher College, another Landmark Conference opponent at 1 p.m.
