When it comes to the UChicago women’s soccer team, each and every game is played with a purpose. Saturday’s game against No. 19 Emory was no exception, with yet another impressive 4–0 victory extending the Maroons’ historic winning streak to 12–0, and maintaining their No. 1 ranking.
In the first half, first-year Katie Jasminski opened up the scoring in the 35th minute, sending the ball through the upper left after a crucial pass from fourth-year Mia Calamari. As the end of the first half was nearing, Jasminski would continue to progress the Maroons’ offense with a pass to fellow first-year Maddie DeVoe, who then sent a 15-yard rocket towards the goal, only to be met by a defender who deflected it past the keeper, scoring an own goal and extending the lead to 2–0.
Thirteen minutes into the second half, fourth-year Whitley Cargile sent a well-timed pass to fourth-year Madori Spiker, who would break away from the Emory defense and beat the keeper to score the third goal of the match. Spiker consistently outpaced her opponents and played a role to ensure the Eagles’ defense would unravel and allow for more goals.
Third-year Jenna McKinney continued to demonstrate her prowess on the pitch, as she added the cherry on top of what was already going to be a sweet victory with a marvelous left strike that went inside the net in the 59th minute. This was all initiated by a throw-in that led to Mia Calamari once again setting up her teammate for the clever finish. Calamari continues to drop dimes and lead the team in assists with 10, while McKinney leads the team in goals with nine.
When asked about the crucial factors that have contributed to the entire team maximizing their potentials and playing the best they can, McKinney said, “We had first-years come in this year who were really good, and they just make us step up our levels. Getting to the Final Four last year made winning a tangible goal, and so everyone is just that much more amped for this season.”
This was seen from all players, especially from Cargile, whose defense kept the Eagles’ offense at bay. Cargile was responsible in clearing out the ball in critical moments that the Eagles were closing in to score and strived to keep them not only from outside the box, but also from their half.
The Maroons outshot the Eagles (7–4) by a 19–5 margin, with a 10–2 margin in shots on goal. The offense showed its dominance with the time it spent in their opponent’s half, having also had a total of eight corner kicks throughout the match. In yet another victory, keepers Katie Donovan, a second-year, and Miranda Malone, a first-year, maintained the clean sheet, with each playing one half.
McKinney spoke of the goals the team had as well as things they look to improve, adding, “The goal is to just keep up the energy and work our hardest, and not lose a game because we weren’t working hard enough. I think we have kept up that goal thus far. We are improving by not playing too scared, trying to do fun moves, and really play through the center of the field and be dangerous.”
The Maroons are 2–0 in UAA play, and will face off against Carnegie Mellon on Friday at 3 p.m. CT, followed immediately with a game against Case Western Reserve on Sunday at 1:30 CT.
