Sophia Garfinkel

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster women's soccer team, playing without its leading scorer and starting goalkeeper, was very competitive with the No. 3 ranked team in the Great Lakes Region, but Case Western Reserve University still emerged from a rainy Carl Dale Field with the 2-0 non-league win on Tuesday afternoon.

Wooster (7-4-1) earned four corner kicks and got off seven shots, including a couple of near misses, against one of the stingiest defensive units in the country. Case Western Reserve (7-2-2) began the day 22nd in NCAA Div. III in goals against average (0.48), and Madeleine Harris gave her defense a boost by blasting in a score in the 26th minute.

The Fighting Scots came achingly close to scoring an equalizer about 30 seconds into the second half. They made a push right away down the left side, delivering a cross to Sophia Garfinkel at the far post, who in turn redirected the ball past the out-of-position goalkeeper. It deflected off of the inside left post, then Spartan defender Neha Cheemalavagu somehow cleared the ball away before it crossed the end line.

The score continued to be 1-0 until the 78th minute when Amy Lindberg connected on a deep shot, about 30 yards out, to the upper left 90, giving Case Western Reserve an insurance goal.

Crystal Chavez nearly scored for Wooster, as she got a step on her defender late in regulation, dribbled into the box from the left side, and delivered a shot just wide.

Statistically, Scot 'keeper Elizabeth Clark tallied five saves.

Wooster gets back into North Coast Athletic Conference play with a trip to Kenyon College (5-6-1, 2-0-0 NCAC) on Saturday.