For John Carroll women’s soccer, earning a spot in the national tournament is an impressive feat that marks a historical moment in program history. But, the Blue Streaks didn’t stop there.
On Nov. 11, John Carroll defeated Cortland 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament. While this was certainly a pivotal victory, the real test came just a day later. The Blue Streaks were slated to play Case Western, the National Runner-Up in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, in the 32 Round. To make the atmosphere even more interesting, these two squads already met in 2023, with the Spartans defeating the Blue Streaks 2-1 on Sept. 1.
But, this past Sunday, the result was different. In the second round of the tournament, John Carroll upset Case Western by a score of 1-0 on the Spartans’ home turf. With the triumphant win, the Blue Streaks secured a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
The lone goal of the match was tallied by Abby Walker ‘27 in minute 25. After gaining an initial edge on Case Western, John Carroll bunkered down on defense, facing a plethora of Spartan forwards and midfielders that refused to go down easy. But, despite a disproportionate shot margin and a seemingly dominant Spartan offense, Case Western was not able to find the back of the net.
“The team is composed of competitive, hard workers and the mixture of Abby Walker’s amazing goal and our desire to succeed drove our ability to stay strong and finish the game with a historic win,” said All-OAC First Team defender Kathryn Shaffer ‘26. “[he goal] gave us an energetic drive early on in the game and ultimately we knew that, no matter what, we were going to give it all we had until the last seconds of the game.”
That’s exactly what John Carroll did. The No. 8 ranked Spartans showcased tremendous amounts of skill and conditioning. The familiarity of playing on their home turf was seen in the way Case Western distributed the ball, recognizing the exact weight of a pass, widening the field to their advantage to utilize the flanks in their offensive push. But still, the Blue Streaks remained true to their style of play and remained composed.
As the final whistle blew, John Carroll was thrilled to recognize another historic moment in their 2023 campaign. Madeline Martin Kosier tallied 14 saves on the day, standing her ground in net for the Blue Streaks and holding onto another shutout. Several other players contributed to defensive efforts including Taylor Wohleber ‘24, Gabby Walter ‘24, Brooke Kelly ‘25 and Shaffer.
The win sends the Blue Streaks to Grantham, PA for a matchup against Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 18.