After challenging matches against Rochester on Friday and Case Western on Sunday, the Maroons return home still on top in the UAA conference.

Friday’s game, which ended in a 1-0 loss to Rochester, showcased excellent defense on both sides. Rochester goalie Bridget Lang pulled off three saves to shut out the Maroons, including a nearly successful shot by fourth-year Emily Benoit in the game’s 17th minute.

Chicago third-year Emma Gormley was no slouch between the goal posts either. “They are a strong team, but we were very successful in limiting the number of chances they had to score throughout the game. Unfortunately, one of the few chances they did have they were able to score on,” said Benoit. Gormley managed five solid saves, but couldn’t stop Ellen Coleman’s winning shot in the 75th minute.

The stakes were high coming into Sunday’s match against Case Western. “Both teams were coming off a loss on Friday night so we knew they wanted to win just as badly,” said Benoit. “We knew we had put ourselves in a difficult position after losing on Friday and then being tied at halftime with Case. In order to keep our hope of winning a UAA title and getting an NCAA tournament bid alive, we needed to win this game.”

Benoit’s penalty kick in the 61st minute gave the Maroons their winning edge. Chicago drew first blood with third-year Allison Hegel’s goal in the fourth minute, assisted by fellow third-year Maggie Tobin. Case Western’s Deena Levey retaliated in the 12th minute with an assist by Devyn Lee, but the Yellowjackets were unable to hold off the aggressive Maroons, who outshot them 10-7. “It was not our best of games, but we were able to find a way to win in order to continue our pursuit of a UAA title and an NCAA bid,” Benoit added.

Chicago is certainly still strong in UAA standings, with a 3-1 record. The Maroons will play a non-conference match against North Park at home on Wednesday. Conference play resumes October 29 against NYU.