From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team is heading to the Round of 16 of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second-consecutive year after the fourth-ranked Spartans defeated Ithaca College 6-0 in their second-round matchup at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday afternoon.
CWRU, which improved to 17-0-1 following the win, will now await the winner of the second-round contest between Loras and Ohio Northern in the round of 16. Dates, times, and locations for next weekend's sectional matches will be released by the NCAA after all second-round matches are completed.
With the victory, the Spartans also set a new program record for wins in a season, breaking the previous mark of 16 set last year. With the trip to the round of 16, CWRU has also matched its best-ever NCAA finish, also accomplished during the 2021 campaign.
Ithaca's season ended with a 13-4-4 overall record.
The Spartans took control of the game early with a three-goal outburst in the opening half. Senior midfielder Anika Washburn gave the Spartans a lead in the 13th minute of the game, scoring her third goal of the season off a pass from senior forward Helina VanBibber. It was Washburn's program-record-setting 12th career game-winning goal. VanBibber collected her third assist of the year on the play.
In the 24th minute, graduate student forward Camryn Hartman scored her 12th goal of the season (tied for the third most in program history) on a well-placed long-range shot over the keeper's hands and into the back of the net. A 31st-minute goal from first-year forward Maggie Farra off Washburn's fourth assist of the year extended CWRU's lead to 3-0 by halftime.
Senior defender Lexi Gomez wasted little time getting the Spartans started in the second half, scoring an unassisted goal with a shot from 30 yards out, her first of the season. Graduate student Samantha Cramin capped off the scoring for the Spartans with her sixth and seventh goals of the year. In the 68th minute, a corner from senior midfielder Aniya Hartzler was headed down by VanBibber and tapped into the net by Cramin to put CWRU in front 5-0. Hartzler earned her ninth of the year, tying her for the third-most in a single season in program history and moving her within one of the program's career record of 21.
In the 71st minute, Cramin scored off assists from sophomore defender Katie Rishel and first-year midfielder Julia Flynn to give the Spartans a 6-0 advantage.
CWRU junior goalkeeper Maggie Storti record a season-high six saves in the combined shutout with junior keeper Sydney Stone. Storti improved to 17-0-1 on the year with the win, breaking her own program record of 16 goalkeeper wins set last year.
CWRU outshot Ithaca 19-8 in the game, including a 13-7 edge in shots on goal. The Spartans have now outscored their opponents 12-1 through the first two rounds of this year's tournament.