Harper Jones

Kathleen Kalafatis

WOOSTER, Ohio – First-half tallies from sophomore Harper Jones and senior Kathleen Kalafatis guided The College of Wooster women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Muskingum University on Tuesday afternoon at Carl Dale Field.

Twenty-three total shots, including 17 in the first half, prompted the Fighting Scots with numerous scoring opportunities.

A complacent opening five minutes turned into an all-out assault for Wooster (4-6-1, 1-0-0 NCAC), who managed 11 shots between the 10th and 30th minutes.

Muskingum did well to bunker down defensively in the game's opening third, as the Fighting Muskies forced shots to come primarily from outside their own 18-yard-box while conceding zero corner kicks in the first 45.

The wall crumbled, however, in the 32nd minute with Jones rounding Muskingum goalkeeper Liz Mitchell and slotting it into an empty net as senior Kennedy Payne did well to ping a beautifully weighted through ball for the set-up.

No more than two minutes later, Payne stepped up again, facilitating the insurance goal with tight-spaced pass from the left flank to the feet of Kalafatis, who one-touched it in from close range as the Scots took a 2-0 lead in the 34th minute.

Moments later, first-year Mackenzie Goltz came up big to deny a one-on-one scoring chance for Muskingum, catching up from behind before committing to a hard slide tackle to prevent a shot on goal.

Muskingum (3-6-0) nearly got on the board to open the second-half, but Wooster sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Ireton came off her line instinctively to clear what was a heavy first-touch from Fighting Muskie forward Autumn Devine.

The Scots continued to control the majority of possession, playing 16 players throughout the game, as Wooster recorded its third shutout of the season, with all coming by a 2-0 count.

Muskingum managed eight shots on the game, while winning the advantage in corner kicks 4-2.

Ireton finished with three saves on the day.

Wooster returns to conference play as they prepare for a 1 p.m. road matchup at Oberlin College (5-3-0, 0-1-0 NCAC) on Saturday, Oct. 1.