After a depressing slump of five games without a win, four of which were conference games, the Wooster womenís soccer team has finally started to turn their luck around by tacking on two wins to their conference record, bringing it to a more respectable 2-3-1 in conference and 10-3-4 overall.†† This change of pace is exactly what the Scots need if they hope to secure a spot in the NCAC Tournament, which is just around the corner.
The Scotsí most recent win came this past Saturday. Wooster was able to shut out Kenyon College and earn a 1-0 win at Carl Dale Memorial Field.† The lone goal came from Paige Piper í13.† In the fourth minute, Piper sent in a shot that screamed past the keeper into the upper-right corner of the net.† Piperís fifth goal of the season was all the Fighting Scots needed to secure the win over the Ladies.† Both sides had ample offensive opportinuties with the Scots launching eight shots toward goal.† Stalwart defense on both sides kept the game at 1-0 with Scot goalkeeper Michele Ring í13 recording three saves converting her fifth shutout of the season, an impressive feat for a first-year.
It is hard to tell whether this sudden turnaround is the consequence of playing easier teams or improved play from the Scots.† Though they secured the win, they only recorded eight total shots in a game where they could have easily gone into double digits.† In the second half it seemed as if their feet were dragging as the Scots fell out of the game. The team showed less hustle than exhibited in the first 45 minutes of play. Though they managed to secure the win against Kenyon, currently sixth in NCAC rankings, it will† take much more consistent work to defeat more formidable opponents in the conference such as Denison University. Denison currently stands undefeated in NCAC play. The Big Red will come to Wooster Saturday for the last game of the regular season.† It will prove to be a last-ditch effort by the Scots to secure any hope of the postseason.
Despite the complacency displayed by the Scots in their most recent victory, the fans can be satisfied that the team has once again found a way to crack in the win column. Recent success provides hope after a stretch of play that had the team nearly counted out entirely.† Hopefully, Wooster can use the momentum from the last two games and push on to win their final two games of the season.† The Scots are currently tied for fourth place in the NCAC standings leaving them in limbo needing not only to win but for other teams above them in the standing to falter in the late stages of the season.† The Scots traveled to Hiram College Wednesday for their last road game of the regular season. The Scots pulled out a 1-0 win when Kelsey Peters í12 scored off a corner kick with under 15 minutes left in the game. The Scots will end the season at home against currently undefeated Denison tomorrow at 1 p.m.