Fourth-ranked Case Western Reserve scored four unanswered goals in the second half as it rallied to defeat sixth-ranked William Smith, ,4-2 in an NCAA Division III quarterfinal played at DiSanto Field this afternoon. The Herons conclude their season with a 14-2-6 overall record.
Julia Berg and Julia DiMenna scored the goals for William Smith. Amanda Kesler went the distance in goal, making four saves. Helina VanBibber had two goals, and Anika Washburn and Camryn Hartman had two assists for the Spartans (19-0-1).
KEY STATS:
- Case Western finished the game with a 15-6 advantage in shots and a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
FIRST HALF:
- The Spartans had a 5-2 advantage in shots in the opening 45 minutes.
- Hartman had the game’s first shot in the eighth minute. It was blocked by a William Smith defender.
- At the opposite end of the field, Julia Berg had a shot blocked by a Case Western defender.
- William Smith opened the scoring in the 34th minute. Off of a corner kick, Julia Berg headed home her fifth goal of the season. It was assisted by her sister, Katrine Berg.
SECOND HALF:
- The Herons took a 2-0 lead in the 54th minute. DiMenna slipped a shot from inside the 18-yard box into the lower left corner of the cage. Her seventh goal of the year was assisted by Ireland Krawczyk.
- The Spartans started their comeback four minutes later. VanBibber broke up the shutout bid with her eighth goal of the season. Hartman was awarded an assist on the goal.
- William Smith nearly made it 3-1 less than a minute later, but DiMenna’s shot was blocked and Ruth Hotaling’s rebound attempt was pushed just wide of the goal.
- Case Western tied the game in the 71st minute. Kesler made a diving stop on Washburn’s attempt. Mackenzie Mueller picked up the rebound and chipped it into the back of the net. It was Mueller’s third goal of the season.
- Just over a minute later, VanBibber gave Case Western a 3-2 lead. Her eighth goal of the year was assisted by Washburn and Aniya Hartzler.
- Jamie Goldfarb rounded out the scoring with her third goal of the year. It was set up by Hartman.
THANK YOU, SENIORS:
The five seniors, Julia DiMenna, Julia Berg, Katrine Berg, Seneca Blakely-Armitage and Emma Faso finish their careers with a 54-6-8 overall record. In three seasons, they guided the Herons to three NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the championship game in 2019. They won three Liberty League regular season titles and two tournament championships. Amanda Kesler concludes her fourth season with William Smith. She was 46-8-6 in goal. She concludes her career sixth on the Herons’ career wins list.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].