The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s first-place team showed its strength Thursday, as visiting Olivet Nazarene University defeated the Purdue University Calumet women’s soccer team 3-1 at Munster High School.
The Tigers (9-3-1, 8-0 CCAC) remained unbeaten in conference play with their ninth straight victory, as ONU didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard with Liz Wahl’s goal with 30 seconds gone off the clock. Wahl and teammate Jessica Higer would score once more before the half to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead at the break.
The Peregrines’ defense, however, stepped up in the second half, as they did not give up a goal behind a stingy back line of Lauren McElroy (Okeana, Ohio/Harrison), Jen Sobierajski (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley) and Isabella Parilli (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) and three saves by junior keeper Erika Brinkman (Kalida, Ohio/Kalida/Owens C.C.).
Sophomore Michelle Wartman (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) spoiled the shutout in the 86th minute, netting her fourth goal of the season and her second in as many games, as she rushed the net and beat the keeper high on cross from teammate Rachel Gregory (Highland, Ind./Highland).
Brinkman finished the game with 10 saves as the Tigers outshot the Peregrines, 21-7, including a 13-2 margin on goal. Senior Rachel Shmagranoff (Munster, Ind./Munster) led Purdue Calumet with four shots and Wartman added two.
Purdue Calumet returns to action Saturday when the Peregrines host CCAC foe Robert Morris in the first game of a doubleheader with the men’s teams. The women are set to start at 1 p.m. with the men to follow at 3 :30 p.m. at Munster High School.
