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| Molly Hutter |
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| Maya McDonald |
Soccer is simple. Score more than the other team and win.
The College of Wooster women's soccer team has succeeded in that plenty this season, and they are finding that objective much easier to accomplish when the other team does not score at all.
Of Wooster's 14 wins, 13 have come via shutout and two of their ties have ended in 0-0 affairs. In their last eight games they are 7-0-1 and have not allowed a goal.
Overall, they have allowed just 10 goals this season.
Junior goalkeeper Molly Hutter has appeared and started in all 19 games and is responsible for the team's 14-2-3 record. With the help of a strong backline and midfield presence, Wooster finds themselves in the NCAA Division III Championships for the second straight year.
Defenders Mackenzie Goltz and Alexa Bencic solidify the backline while junior Kelsey Stone and sophomore Maya McDonald maintain the midfield. That has allowed Hutter and the team to close in on a number of records.
"Our ability to help each other on the field and discuss strategies has allowed us to excel," Hutter said. "Our team leans on each other for support, and we play for each other."
Hutter is coming off a career-high nine saves in the 1-0 win over DePauw University in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. It was her eighth consecutive shutout, which puts her one game shy of tying the school record for consecutive shutouts.
She is tied nationally for the lead in shutouts this season. The 14 are already a school record, surpassing the 11 Lisa Hall collected in 1991.
Hall also has the record for consecutive shutout minutes at 810:00. The record can be surpassed Saturday as Hutter currently sits at 759:02.
Hutter enters the tournament with a 0.50 goal against average. If that stays below .60, she will have that record as well, which was set in 1996 by Leah Dwyer.
"Her positioning is so good where that she makes difficult things look very easy," said head coach Geordie Brown. "That's a sign of focus, confidence and being ready to play."
Hutter saw her first significant playing time as a sophomore, splitting time with Maddy Ireton. After appearing in just three games as a first-year, she appeared in all 20 games a year ago.
More times than naught, Hutter would play a half and Ireton would play the other. Hutter played eight games fully, finishing with a 10-2-2 record and four individual shutouts.
"Playing with Maddy helped me so much," Hutter said. "We were able to build off one another and push each other to be better. We were definitely each other's main supporters. That year allowed me to have enough experience, which was crucial coming into my junior year."
This year Hutter has already played almost 500 more minutes than last year. She has 83 saves, doubling the 41 she collected last year.
"From a personal stand point, this year I've learned to trust my instincts, and the defensive unit in front of me has definitely made my job easier," Hutter said. "All credit goes to the defense for having dominated play on the field."
Credit the defense who has limited shots getting to Hutter. Hutter's saves within the conference put her fifth, which is just under 100 saves less than Hiram's Ally Green who has 177. However, Hutter was second among the teams that made the conference tournament.
The Scots accomplished this even after losing their two all-conference center backs from 2018.
But now the Scots will have their biggest challenge yet in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships against Case Western Reserve (13-5).
The Spartans know how to score. They are tied for 72nd in the nation in goals with 46. By comparison, Wooster ranks tied for 250th with 28.
Case averages 2.5 goals per game. Wooster allows just 0.50 per game. So, who will come out on top?
Wooster plays Case at 2:30 p.m. EST on Friday at Wheaton College.