Behind three first half goals, including two in the first three minutes of play, the 15th-ranked Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team defeated Muskingum University 5-1 on Saturday afternoon at the North Athletic Turf Field in New Concord, Ohio.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 7-0-0 on the season, while the Fighting Muskies dropped to 2-3-3. CWRU has won 31 consecutive regular season non-conference matches, having not lost in exactly four years. The Spartans are also one of seven remaining unbeaten and untied teams in Division III.
Case Western Reserve scored first in just the second minute of the match. Senior forward Aniya Hartzler sent a ball to senior midfielder/forward Helina VanBibber on the far side of the box. VanBibber passed the ball back to Hartzler in front of the goal. The forward sent a shot to the low corner, beating the goalkeeper for her third goal of the season. VanBibber earned her first assist of the season on the play.
Just one minute later, senior defender Elizabeth White doubled the lead with her first goal of the season. Hartzler sent a cross from outside the box toward the goal. White was there to head the pass into the back of the net. Hartzler was credited with her third assist of the season on the play.
In the 14th minute, sophomore forward Carolyn Koutures notched her first goal of the season to put the Spartans ahead 3-0. Graduate student forward Camryn Hartman found Koutures in the middle of the box, and the sophomore fired a low shot into the back of the net. Hartman, who earned an assist on the play, has either scored or recorded an assist in every Spartan match this season.
Three minutes into the second half, Muskingum's Hannah Ritchie scored on a corner kick to cut into the CWRU lead.
The Spartans regained their three-goal advantage in the 68th minute. Hartman sent a low cross into the box that was received by graduate student forward Samantha Cramin. She then fired a low shot into the corner of the goal to record her first score of the match. Hartman tallied her third assist of the campaign, tying her for the team lead.
Cramin capped the scoring in the 87th minute. On a sprint, she received a pass from sophomore midfielder Sydney Schenk in the middle of the box and scored her second goal of the day and fourth of the season. Schenk earned her first assist of the season.
Case Western Reserve outshot Muskingum 36-3 and held a 15-1 advantage in shots on target. Cramin and first-year midfielder/forward Ceci Dapino both had a team-high five shots. Junior goalkeepers Maggie Storti and Sydney Stone each played a half in front of the net, with Storti starting and earning her seventh win of the season. Her 23 career wins are four away from tying the program record set by former Spartan Anna Kennedy from 2008-11.
The Spartans return to DiSanto Field for their penultimate non-conference matchup, hosting Denison University on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.