Spartans Battle No, 14 Penn State Behrend to Scoreless Tie

Spartans Battle No, 14 Penn State Behrend to Scoreless Tie

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Ninety minutes of soccer was not enough to produce a winner on Wednesday night, as the Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team (5-2-1) battled 14th-ranked Penn State Behrend (6-0-2) to a scoreless tie in Erie, Pennsylvania on Wednesday evening.

Stats and Standouts

  • Junior goalkeeper Ellie Palaian made four saves, en route to recording her first shutout of the campaign. She stands at 4-2-1 on the year following the draw, and lowered her season goals-against average to 1.19.

  • Sophomore Izzy Probst led the team with four total shots, including two on goal, while graduate student Isabella Guzman added three shots, with one on frame.

  • As a team, CWRU finished with a 6-5 edge in shots on goal and a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks, while the Lions held a narrow 12-11 bump in total shots.

First Half

  • The two teams played to a stalemate through the first 45 minutes, with CWRU finishing the frame with a 6-3 edge in shots on goal.

  • The Spartans also held edges in shots on goal (4-1) and corner kicks (4-1) during the opening period.

  • Probst was particularly dangerous in the first half, taking three shots, including a pair on goal.

Second Half

  • Palaian made three saves in 90 seconds early in the second half to keep the scoreless tie intact, and made four total saves during the period.

  • A shot by junior Taylor Brackett in the 47th minute proved to be the only one on frame in the period for the Spartans.

  • The Lions continued to apply pressure on the Spartans in the second half, outshooting CWRU 9-5 during the frame, but the Spartan defense held strong to preserve the shutout.

Spartan Notes

  • The Spartans entered the game as the fourth-ranked team in the region, while the Lions were the top-ranked squad. CWRU also received votes in the latest IWSOC Coaches Poll.

  • CWRU now stands at 9-3-1 all-time against Penn State Behrend and is undefeated in the last six matchups.

  • Wednesday's game was the second shutout of the season for the Spartans and the first one recorded this year by Palaian.

  • The contest was the first scoreless tie for the Spartans since doing so against Otterbein on September 14, 2024.

  • The match was the Spartans' first game against a nationally-ranked opponent this season, and begins a stretch of five of their next 10 games against nationally-ranked teams.