UChicago Remains Perfect with 1-0 Win over UC Santa Cruz
The 11th-ranked University of Chicago women's soccer team stayed perfect on the young season with a 1-0 victory over UC Santa Cruz on Sunday afternoon, improving to 2-0.
The Banana Slugs came out firing with three shots on goal in the opening three minutes, but goalkeeper Sophia Sasaki turned them all away to keep the contest level.
The Maroons broke through in the 17th minute when Kaitlyn Gomez served a cross from the right side that found the head of freshman Kate Bruntlett, who buried her third goal in just her first three collegiate halves. The assist for Gomez was also the fourth of her career and the second of the season.
UChicago nearly doubled its lead early in the second half as Lucy Harrison-Caldwell unleashed a left-footed strike from the top of the box that missed just wide. In the 77th minute, Mary Stuart Kerrigan created another prime scoring chance, but the UC Santa Cruz keeper denied her shot from inside the penalty area.
Defensively, the Maroons were dominant, holding the Slugs without a shot for more than 80 minutes between the 3rd and 85th minutes of play. The hosts managed one late push in the 85th, but Sasaki came up with a highlight-reel save, tipping the attempt over the bar and skying for the ensuing corner to preserve the clean sheet.
UChicago finished with a 6-4 edge in total shots. Sasaki made four saves on the day to secure her second clean sheet of the season and remain perfect in goal on the year.
With the win, the Maroons improve to 2-0 on the year.