Box Score
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University women’s soccer team capped off its regular season with a 2-1 home victory over rival Capital University, helping give head coach Brandon Koons the 200th victory of his career.
The Cardinals move to 13-5 overall and 8-1 in Ohio Athletic Conference play, and will next host a semifinal match in the conference’s postseason tournament Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Crusaders, meanwhile, fall to 10-8-2 this season and 5-3-1 against league opponents with the loss.
Koons has achieved a .781 winning percentage since taking over the women’s soccer program in 1999, compiling a record of 200-56-23. The Cardinals have won seven OAC regular-season titles under his leadership, and will be going for their sixth league tournament championship next week.
“It’s a nice accomplishment for me and it’s always neat to achieve a milestone like that, but it’s really about these seniors today,” Koons said shortly afterwards. “These six girls bounced back from last season and really finished strong down the stretch for us. That’s what makes me the most happy.”
Otterbein took an early lead in the ninth minute when senior Molly Kroger fed a baseline pass through the box, seeing classmate Rachel Denz fly in to bury the shot home.
The Cards took the lead into intermission, but Capital evened the match in the 51st minute when Lauren Roy scored during a scrum off a free kick.
The Cards continued to press and eventually found the difference maker after freshman Megan McCabe was taken down in the box at the 76:11 mark. Sophomore Lindsay Henderson stepped up to bury the penalty kick and give Otterbein the lead for good.
“We’re going to have to keep grinding out results and fighting for everything,” Koons said. “Our league is so tight and all the teams in this upcoming tournament are solid, so we’re going to have to earn it.”
Both teams took nine shots in the match, with the Cardinals posting a 3-0 edge on corner kicks. Dana Strimbu had three saves in goal for the Cards while Capital goalie Maggie Donnellan made two stops.
Denz, Kroger, and fellow seniors Emily Bates, Jess Yaney, Sara Wolfe, and Molly Newhouse were recognized prior to the match as part of Senior Day. The group has compiled a record of 63-13-7 over their four seasons, winning three conference titles along the way.
