Langston Hood
Sports Editor
The Fighting Scots women’s soccer team took on the Denison Big Red last Saturday in a game with massive playoff implications.. After playing well for the majority of the season, the Scots were still not immune to hiccups; a few stumbles in this game could have spelled disaster for Wooster’s season. The Scots needed to at least tie the game in order to claim the fourth and final seed in the tournament. This would prove to be no easy feat as Denison was the second seed coming into the weekend. A dreary and bleak Saturday afternoon played host to the battle between the Scots and Big Red with tournament spots on the line.
Denison appeared to have the upper hand in the matchup throughout the first half as they managed to fire 16 shots at the Wooster goal, with seven finding the target. However, first-year goalkeeper Amanda Flory ’25, was up to the challenge as she saved every shot on goal in the first half and then again in the second half. Flory’s impressive performance on Saturday and in the midweek game earned her NCAC Athlete of the Week honors, as she kept clean sheets for two games in a row. Flory had the following to say about the game: “Saturday’s game was one of the most fun games I have ever played in. Not only because of how well everyone played, but also because of how hard we have worked to get where we are and seeing the progress on the field.”
Wooster’s attack sputtered early in the game; fortunately for the Scots, the defense remained strong. As the game progressed, Wooster’s offense picked up its pace, taking 14 shots in the second half, which was a vast improvement on the six they took in the first half. However, it only took one shot to take the three points from Denison as first-year Hallie Krzys ’25 found the game winner in the 75th minute. Krzys logged her third game-winner of the season to lift Wooster over Denison. After the game she said, “Seeing all of our hard work and effort pay off was great, I couldn’t be more proud of this group of girls.”
Krzys’ game-winner was assisted by sophomore Grace Gascoigne ’24, as the two combined to sink Denison and ensure the Scots a spot in the NCAC tournament. Following her crucial assist, Gascoigne said, “Denison was a big game for us, so we were all super focused and dialed in. We want to keep that momentum going and bring it to any team we face next. The feeling after watching the ball go into the back of the net is definitely one to fight for and something our team is willing to put their all in to achieve.” The tenacity that the team exhibited was truly inspirational. The Fighting Scots celebrated their victory, the joy in the air was palpable and it was clear the Wooster women’s soccer team deserved every ounce of it.
The Wooster women’s soccer team was victorious over Kenyon in the NCAC semi-final game on Tuesday after the game culminated in a 10-9 penalty shootout earning them a place in the NCAC Championship game, which will take place Saturday Nov. 6.