For the No. 9 women’s soccer team in the country, winning has become routine. However, this past week, there was a slight deviation from that plan. The key word is slight. While recording wins in the second and third games of the week was the norm, the team played to a tie in their first match of the seven day span.That tie came at the hands of Philadelphia University while the team was playing down on the south campus field. The 2-2 final score kept the Lady Rams unbeaten streak going at eight consecutive games. However, the game had its share of drama as would any match that was played to a double overtime tie.
Offensively, Brittany Yetter was the spark for the purple and gold as she accounted for a goal and an assist on the day, taking part in each of her team’s scores. Tara Malkiewicz, one of the teams powerful freshman, scored the other goal for West Chester. On the defensive end of the ball, Hilary Smart made two saves.
Game two of the triple header for the week was against PSAC East division rival Shippensburg, this one coming on the road. Rita Alton and Sarah Oswald led the offensive charge in the key 2-1 victory. Chiming in on the goals with assists were Yetter and Samantha Paolino. Smart kept the goal relatively clean allowing only one goal while making four saves and keeping her team unbeaten at 8-0-1 on the season with the victory. The win kept the team in first place heading into their final match of the week.
By weeks end, West Chester finished off their opponents to the tune of a 9-0-1 record after beating Mercyhurst at home on Saturday, 3-2.
Yetter scored immediately following the opening of the game, only about two minutes into the action on a breakaway goal. The other two scores were also on breakaways, both by Oswald. The second goal by the standout sophomore was the decisive one, giving the team a 3-2 lead in the 77th minutes. That goal would ultimately be the last score of the game. Brittany Barnes saw her first game action of the season in goal giving Hilary Smart a well deserved rest. Barnes gave up only two goals and blocked three shots in 90 minutes of action.
At the end of the week, West Chester saw their unbeaten record remain intact as their grip on first place in the PSAC East continued to grow to a larger lead. With a 9-0-1 overall record, and 6-0 conference record, the Lady Rams are the only unbeaten team remaining in the conference. No other school even has a clean PSAC record either.
Up Next – This week West Chester travels twice to divisional opponent’s schools. The first match of the week is a 5 p.m. start time at Millersville on Tuesday. The second contest will be on Saturday at Kutztown with the game slated to start at 2:30 p.m.
Player of the Week – Sarah Oswald and Brittany Yetter continue to be the offensive dynamic duo that keeps tearing up opposing defenses. Oswald leads the team with 18 total points, as she has eight goals, good for the team lead, and two assists, good for second on the team. Yetter is second in total points with 15, as she also holds second on the team in goals with five and first in assists with five. The two look to continue their scoring ways this week as they take their show on the road to Millersville on Tuesday and Kutztown on Saturday.
Mike Heiman is a fourth-year student majoring in elementary education with a minor in literacy. He can be reached at MH606613@wcupa.edu.