Evan Weber
Sports Editor
The Franciscan women’s soccer team earned their first win of the season in a 1-0 victory against the Otterbein Cardinals on Saturday, Sep. 21 at 3:30 p.m. Coming back from a two game road trip, the Barons were able to win in front of a home crowd at Trinity field.
The Cardinals came into the game as the heavy favorites. Holding an undefeated 5-0 record to the season, Otterbein even received votes to be ranked top 25 in the nation. Still, the Barons remained undaunted by their opponent and came fully ready to win.
As the kickoff sounded, the Cardinals took the initiative and fired off a barrage of shots. Senior goalkeeper Rebekka Dill anchored the defense with four quick saves while the rest of Otterbein’s shots missed their target.
The rest of the first half played out in similar style. The Cardinals continued their torrent of offense, but the Barons repeatedly held on. One reason for this is Otterbein’s unusual strategy of shooting shots far outside the penalty box. The Cardinals were overconfident and kept settling for bad looks. Even though they had constant possession of the ball and far more shots, the Barons were able to keep the score 0-0 by the end of the first half.
The Cardinals continued their offensive pressure in the second half but the Barons were determined to win. 79 minutes into the game, freshman forward Eva Dexter received a long pass from sophomore midfielder Elise Winogradoff and sped by two defenders to drill in the game-winning goal.
With the Barons in the lead, the defense completely locked down the Cardinals until the clock finally expired. Goalkeeper Rebekka Dill played incredibly well with 11 saves. The Barons remained undaunted by their fearsome opponent and eventually prevailed through their strength and fortitude.
The Lady Barons hope to continue their winning play with their first PAC game coming up Wednesday, Sep. 25 at 7:30 p.m. against Saint Vincent College. The game will take place at home, so please go and support your fellow Barons!