The Golden Rams dropped their second game of the season Sept. 8 to the Shippensburg Red Raiders 3-0, but then bounced back to take the next three contests.
In the Shippensburg game, Taylor Bender started the scoring late in the first half, giving the Raiders the lead heading into the locker room. Soon thereafter, only minutes into the second half, Bender added another goal, followed by one from teammate Bre White, extending the lead to 3-0. The Golden Rams struggled to recover from the Raiders offensive streak, and the game ended 3-0.
Shippensburg outshot the Golden Rams an outstanding 20-9. Carly Buckwalter and Kelsi Lykens each contributed three shots for the Rams, but no one was able to convert.
West Chester goalie Kristin Arnold recorded seven saves, while Raiders goalie was credited with three.
After the upset, the Golden Rams returned to the field where they won the National Championship not even a year ago. The girls were determined to bounce back after losing to Shippensburg the day before, and it was evident as they won 2-1.
“Going into the Bloom game, we tried a new defensive formation, as well as a few players in different positions. A lot of people played better than they ever did before in that game and it showed on the scoreboard. I can’t explain how proud I am of my team and that we were able to go into that game with our heads held high, knowing we weren’t walking away with another loss,” Gluchowski said.
Despite trailing 1-0 for the duration of the first half, the Rams fought back early in the second half when Kayla Gluchowski scored off of an assist from teammate Michele Schrift. Gluchowski’s third goal of the season notched the game up at 1-1.
Megan Callanan scored the game-winning goal on a pass from Gluchowski in the 51st minute, putting the Rams in a position to keep the Huskies down.
The shot totals favored the Golden Rams 17-15, a change of pace from the game before where they were outshot 20-9.
Kristin Arnold performed spectacularly in net, saving eight shots.
The game ended with a score of 2-1, giving West Chester an important victory in conference play, and the upper hand early in the season over Bloomsburg.
Looking to continue their success, the Rams welcomed the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks to town last Friday.
The Rams wasted no time and jumped out to an early lead over the Hawks when Kelsi Lykens knocked home the first goal of the game in the first minute of the game. Michele Schrift added one of her own before half time, giving the Rams a 2-0 lead.
The lead quickly evaporated as IUP fought back to tie the game 2-2 with less than five minutes to play.
The Rams remained calm as they charged down the field with just under three minutes to play. Freshman Alexis Versak received a great pass from teammate Stef Pirri and was able to punch in the game-winning goal, giving the Rams a 3-2 advantage.
The goal capped off a wild last 10 minutes of the game, where two goals were scored and two cards were given out.
Arnold finished the game with seven saves, continuing her dominance in goal.
Wrapping up a tough week of games, the Golden Rams welcomed PSAC rival Seton Hill into town Saturday afternoon. The Rams were all over the visitors as they defeated the Griffins an outstanding 6-0.
This capped off a successful 3-1 week, giving them their third straight win and remaining undefeated at home. Gluchowski, Cheek, and Schrift each recorded a goal and an assist, powering the Rams to victory.
The Rams will face LIU-post and Millersville this week as they attempt to stay undefeated on their home field.
Timothy Mulqueen is a third-year student majoring in marketing. He can be reached at TM734386@wcupa.edu.