Box Score Franciscan 3, Ohio Wesleyan 0
Starting XI
MaryGrace Geurkink, Michelle Lopez, Rhoswen Elmore, Elise Winogradoff, Isabella Corley, Elizabeth Earnhardt, Natalie Cross, Catherine DeWolf, Lizzy Craig, Bella Urso, & Goalkeeper - Callie Giguere
How It Happened
The Franciscan women's soccer team extended its impressive unbeaten streak, improving to an overall record of 3-0-1 with a commanding 3-0 shutout victory over Ohio Wesleyan University at Trinity Health System Field last night.
The Barons waste no time setting the tone, orchestrating a blistering offensive attack in the opening minutes of the match. Just over five minutes after the opening whistle, forward
Lizzy Craig struck first for Franciscan, burying a ball assisted by
Michelle Lopez at the 5:04 mark to break the ice. The Barons kept their foot firmly on the gas, striking again less than four minutes later. At 8:30, Lopez turned from playmaker to goalscorer, netting an unassisted tally to quickly push the Baron advantage to 2-0 before the visitors could find their footing.
Defensively, Franciscan stood tall against an aggressive Ohio Wesleyan attack that racked up 16 total shots over the course of the match. Goalkeeper
Callie Giguere put on a masterclass between the posts, playing all 90 minutes and anchoring the backline with six crucial saves to keep the Battling Bishops completely off the board.
The Barons' defense faced its toughest test late in the second half when Ohio Wesleyan launched a furious attack in the 79th minute, generating three successive shots on target. However, the Franciscan defensive wall refused to crumble, recording multiple critical team saves to turn away the danger and preserve the clean sheet.
With the match safely in hand, Franciscan delivered the final dagger in the 84th minute. Craig found
Catherine DeWolf, who smoothly converted the opportunity at the 83:58 mark to solidify the 3-0 scoreline and cap off a spectacular night of soccer in Steubenville.
The Barons finished the evening with eight total shots—seven of which were on target—maximizing their efficiency to secure the definitive non-conference win.
With this win they continue their undefeated start to the season. Their accomplishment has been recognized by d3datacast.com. They predict the NCAA's NPI rankings before and in between the official releases from the NCAA. Their models currently predict Franciscan to be ranked 46 in the nation, and could be the first time the women's program has cracked the top 50. They are finished with non-conference play and must now continue their success into PAC play. They will start conference play on the road at Hiram before getting a nice long break and returning home on September 30th to face Chatham University.
By the Numbers
- Lopez's two points were the first points of her collegiate career
- Craig is now up to four points in her incredible season/career start
- Giguere's six save shutout is her third this year
In-case you missed it
If you were unable to join us at tonight's game or watch our stream, you can find Coach Miller's post-game interview on our
Instagram and watch the archived stream on the
PAC Digitial Network or our
YouTube channel.
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