Megan Zeller
Contributing Writer
Losing to Wilmington’s Fightin’ Quakers proved a tough loss for the women’s soccer team. The match ended their three-game winning streak. Additionally, the game this past weekend brought about the end of an impressive streak in which the Scots had not allowed three or more goals in 32 straight games.
Early in the game, however, the Scots showed positive play. The first goal of the game was scored by Fighting Scot Katherine Tuttle ’15. She was assisted by a corner kick from teammate Carly Joliat ’16. This was Tuttle’s fifth goal this season.
Tuttle said her successes this season aren’t solely from her own skills. “The goals I’ve scored have not been a solo effort,” said Tuttle. “Instead, they have been a full team effort starting in the back with solid defense players, and of course our keepers, then moving the ball up the field with beautiful possession through the middle.”
This teamwork was evident in the game against Wilmington as the Scots managed to outshoot their opponents 11-10. However, no matter how well a team works together, a victory is not always assured, as was seen in the match against the Quakers.
After the goal by Tuttle, Wilmington managed to score two goals within five minutes of each other. While this might have caused the Scots to lose some spirit, they continued to press Wilmington offensively.
Joliat commented on the team’s response to the 3-1 loss, saying, “We first look at our performance as a whole. Soccer is a tough sport because often times the score line doesn’t reflect the game at all. We look at what we did well, what we can improve on, and then move forward.”
Tuttle agreed, admitting that the team played relatively well and was unlucky to not get a positive result. “We played very well through the whole game, though I do believe our sense of urgency diminished a little after our first goal,” said Tuttle. “We are doing very well as a team, with lots of depth in all of the positions. It is going to be a great season if we stay focused, and I definitely have high hopes and confidence for conference play.”
The Scots come away from this loss to Wilmington with a good grasp of what needs to be improved. Additionally, they seem to have clear goals in mind as far as performing at their peak during the conference games.
“The important thing is that we focus on improvement, and the team this season has the drive to succeed and overcome many different obstacles,” said Joliat.
While a loss is certainly disheartening, the team moves forward with high hopes for the remainder of the season. The Scots played against Washington & Jefferson on Sept. 17 at 5 p.m., after press time. Their next game is away against Geneva tomorrow.