Langston Hood
Sports Editor
The Wooster Fighting Scots women’s soccer team took on the Muskingum Muskies in a non-conference matchup at Carl Dale Field on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The match got off to a quick start as Miura Wiley ’21 took off down the right flank and served a ball into the box for Hallie Krzys ’25, who provided the finishing touch to put the Scots up 1-0 just 40 seconds into the game. Krzys’ opening goal set the tone for the remainder of the match, as the aggressive Wooster offense attacked at will to capture a comfortable 5-0 victory over the Muskies.
After notching her first collegiate goal, Krzys bagged another one for the Scots six minutes later to give Wooster an early 2-0 lead. When asked about scoring her first goals as a Scot, Krzys said, “it was a very exciting moment, getting one on the board early really helped my confidence and the team’s confidence and brought us energy throughout the game.” That confidence was on full display as the Fighting Scots’ offense broke down the Muskies’ defense, totaling 19 shots in the first half of Wednesday’s match.
Wooster’s dominance on the attack was a theme throughout the matchup, as in the 27th minute, Teddi Farson ’23 added a third goal to stretch the lead to 3-0. Eager to score her first ever collegiate goal, Farson said that, “when I scored, I had an emotional sigh of relief because that was the moment I had been waiting for since my freshman year.” Farson’s long-awaited goal was the last of the first half as the Fighting Scots carried a three-goal lead into half time.
The second half followed the same script as the first, with the Fighting Scots peppering the Muskingum goal with 14 shots. Although the second half didn’t begin with the same opening fireworks as the first half, Miura Wiley ’22 scored for Wooster in the 55th minute. After a scramble in the box, Wiley pounced on a loose ball and tucked it away to increase the Scots’ lead to 4-0. Wiley has been a consistent scorer throughout her Wooster career and got back to her scoring ways with her first goal of the season on Wednesday.
The Wooster defense proved sturdy all evening as both goaltenders worked together to keep the Muskies scoreless, making a combined 3 saves throughout the match. 20 minutes after Wiley’s goal, the Fighting Scots decided that the Muskies hadn’t had enough. First-year Emma Jaros followed Krzys and Farson by opening her own collegiate scoring account. In the 74th minute, Jaros notched the fifth goal of the evening for the potent Wooster attack. Although the match had seemingly been settled from the start, Jaros’ goal served as the final nail in the Muskingum coffin, cementing a Wooster victory on the hallowed grounds of Carl Dale.
Throughout the match, the Fighting Scots’ defense kept the Muskies out of the goal and registered their second shutout of the season. The thumping of Muskingum served as a confidence booster after a tough weekend that saw the Fighting Scots drop two games during the Penn State Behrend Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament.
Wednesday evening’s matchup also allowed Coach Geordie Brown to play the majority of his team. Holly Thompson ’22 touched on this aspect of the match saying, “it was a good win, and it was nice to see everyone get in and see everyone bring such value to the team.” The depth of the Fighting Scots’ women’s soccer team will prove to be vital as the season picks up and the fixtures start to come thick and fast. Additionally, the young talent that the Wooster team possesses was on full display as first-years scored three of Wooster’s five goals. This is another element of the squad that will prove important as conference play begins in the coming weeks, since the Fighting Scots have their eyes set on clinching another NCAC title.
Wooster women’s soccer’s next game will take place at home on Saturday, Sept. 18 as the Scots take on Wilmington College.