Sports
Holy Cross Soccer goes 0-1-1 against Lourdes
Thomas Zwiller | Thursday, September 7, 2023
Thomas Zwiller | The Observer Holy Cross College women’s soccer returned to Saints Field to continue their non-conference schedule on Wednesday, this time playing Lourdes University. The last time the Saints played at home, they had a shocking upset against Grace, shocking the then-16th-ranked NAIA squad.
The Saints earned the first corner kick of the game at 2:03, but little came of it. After the kick, Lourdes began to take momentum as they registered the first two shots of the game. The first shot went wide, but the second shot was turned away by first-year goalkeeper Payton Ladson.
Ladson was unable to keep her clean sheet for much longer, as Lourdes scored on their third shot to take the lead.
Lourdes continued to put pressure on the Saints, with three shots in the next five minutes, while the Saints had yet to take their first.
The first Saints shot came just before the 30-minute mark as junior defender Katherine West missed wide. Senior midfielder Olivia Shaw got the next change a minute later, but the Saints could not convert.
Though the Saints kept the game close in the first half, Lourdes needed little time in the second to grow their lead. In the 55th minute, Lourdes put a shot on net that was saved by Ladson. However, in the ensuing chaos, Lourdes scored, taking a 2-0 lead.
Then, in the 62nd minute, Lourdes scored again, putting the game out of reach with a firm 3-0 lead, which became the game’s final score.
The Saints now fall to 2-3 overall, while Lourdes improves to 2-1 on the year.
Holy Cross will resume its’ non-conference schedule this Saturday when the team faces Rochester University. The kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. EST. The following Saturday, the Saints will begin conference play against Governors State.
HCC Men’s Team Earns Tie
The Holy Cross men’s team also played Lourdes on Wednesday, earning a 1-1 draw against the Gray Wolves.
While the game ended in a draw, Lourdes took a surprising early lead, scoring in the ninth minute of game action. The Saints trailed for the remainder of the game until junior midfielder Isa Sayeed knotted the game up at 1-1 in the 80th minute. The assist came from junior defender Martin Von Thun.
The Sayeed goal would remain the equalizer until the game went final, resulting in the 1-1 draw.
The Saints starting goalkeeper, sophomore Isaias Rubio, faced nine total shots on goal, and after Lourdes earned the early goal Rubio kept the team in the game with eight saves.
After the draw, the Saints stay at .500, with a 2-2-1 overall record. The team will look to get their first home win when they play Marian at 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday.
After that, Holy Cross will go on the road to play Calvin University for their last non-conference game. Then, the team will host Governors State on Sept. 16 with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
