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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – It was a morning battle showcasing a pair of unbeaten squads to begin Homecoming Saturday on campus, as the Cardinals went toe-to-toe with No. 8-ranked Case Western Reserve inside a very sunny Memorial Stadium.

Otterbein, looking to remain unscathed, jumped ahead in the first half with some early momentum before the Spartans (2022 national runner-up) worked back to ultimately escape with a rugged 2-1 decision between the non-conference foes.

BREAKDOWN:

• Both sides found early looks on goal. The Spartans launched a shot that was saved by Ella Schwertfager and then Bailey Zanella got behind the Case defense for a run off a free kick. Unfortunately, her attempt sailed just left of the post.
   
• Otterbein pushed ahead to begin the 33rd minute and won a corner kick. Anjuli Anderson lofted a ball that just made it over the heads of a few players in a crowded box, but senior classmate Payton Kaufman tracked it down on the far side near the end-line….
   
• Kaufman took one touch and ripped a slightly bending, awkward ball right across the goal line that might have snuck inside the far post. Case Western goalkeeper Maggie Storti was taking no chances and went to grab possession, but the ball deflected off her hands and right into the net.
   
• CWRU, which lost 2-1 in last year's NCAA Championship match to Johns Hopkins, turned up the pressure mightily as Otterbein was trying to get into halftime. An inadvertent pass backwards from one defender to another went array and allowed Case attacker Mackenzie Mueller to track it down, beat Schwertfager, and deadlock the contest with just 28 seconds to go before intermission.
   
• Both sides jockeyed with possession across the second half, but Case would find the difference-making goal in the 55th minute. Carolyn Kotoures beat a Cardinal defender up the sideline and sent a perfect cross in, where teammate Helina VanBibber was there to bury a header after the ball got over the outstretched arms of Schwertfager.
   
• Case looked for an insurance goal while Otterbein pressed forward needing an equalizer, and nearly got one with under 10 minutes remaining as Anderson eluded a defender down toward the end-line. She fed a clean pass into the box, but a shot from Morgan Somers just barely missed outside the right post.

 
BOX SCORE NOTABLES:

• The physical and testy game featured a combined 26 fouls throughout, although no player did enough for a card.
   
• The Spartans finished with an official 18-7 edge in total shots, but Schwertfager tallied a season-high seven saves in the process.
   
• Both sides attempts three corner kicks each.
   
• Case has now beaten three Ohio Athletic Conference teams this year by one goal – John Carroll (2-1), Ohio Northern (1-0) and now Otterbein.

 
LOOKING AHEAD:

• The Cardinals (3-1-1) will prep for a mid-week contest at Hanover College before returning home next Sunday to play Mount St. Joseph.