West Chester’s women’s soccer team (11-6) finished off their up and down season with an important matchup against Edinboro (12-5-1) this past Saturday. With this concluding the Golden Rams’ regular season, not only was it vital for the Lady Rams to improve their playoff seed, but also for the seniors who were wrapping up their final game here at West Chester University.
The final match of the season proved to live up to the hype with both squads giving the other their best shot. West Chester led the shots category as the Golden Rams would outshoot the Scots 7-4 in the first half and 15-8 for the game. Though West Chester continued to send a barrage of shots Edinboro’s way, goalkeeper Meghan Kelly played extremely well, stopping six shots that came her way and held West Chester scoreless in the first half. As both teams entered halftime, it became obvious the game would come down to who wanted it more.
The second half mirrored the first as both teams continued to find the elusive first goal that might very well win them the game. The scoreless drought would finally be broken by West Chester late in the game by Carly Yost, her seventh and most significant goal of the year. Yost was able to beat the goalkeeper off a cross in the box by Dana Hunt in the 82nd minute to put West Chester up for good. The Scots pressured the Golden Rams, but with solid defense and a great performance from goalkeeper Alex Srolis, West Chester was able to sneak out a close 1-0 victory.
Before the game, a host of five West Chester seniors were honored and recognized for their contributions to the team over the last four seasons. These seniors included Lauren Heisse, Lexi Lentz, Addie Lucci, and co-captains Noelle Harner and Marie D’Angelo. The hard work and dedication displayed throughout the years by this group of seniors has not gone unnoticed, and they have notably represented WCU to the best of their abilities. Moving on, the seniors still have a chance to continue their careers as the Lady Rams now have the opportunity to play in the PSAC tournament with the possibility of becoming PSAC Champions. With this final win against a tough Edinboro team, the ladies moved up to sixth place in the PSAC standings and now have a date with Kutztown (12-5) this Tuesday at Kutztown University. The last time West Chester faced the Golden Bears, they suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss, and they now hope to avenge it in the PSAC Quarterfinals with a chance to remain in the tournament. As West Chester mentally prepares themselves for yet another challenging match, they have the confidence of the entire WCU community, knowing that this group of girls never gave up no matter what came their way. Whether on a winning streak or after a poor performance, we see just how much they have improved over the season as the future looks bright for this young, but talented West Chester soccer yeam.
Taylor Maren is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies. He can be reached at TM 741168@wcupa.edu
Wed. Apr 24th, 2024
