(COLUMBUS, Ohio)---Capital University's women's soccer team used a school-record 10 shutouts to win its second consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and finish with a 14-5-2 record.
The high point of the season for the Crusaders came in the conference championship game against Ohio Northern University. Capital had just lost to the Polar Bears 3-1 the previous week, but turned around and posted a 3-1 win of their own to make it into the NCAA Division III Championship. Capital never lost consecutive games all season and outscored its opponents 44-17. Defense propelled the Crusaders in 2007 as they gave up an average of .80 goals per game, and limited their opponents to only 10.3 shots per game.
Capital benefitted from having a nice blend of impact freshmen and sophomores to go along with its strong group of upperclassmen. A total of seven Crusaders were named All-OAC selections in 2007. Senior Rebecca Gardlik (Cincinnati/Finneytown) and sophomores Katie Robinson (Grove City/Bishop Ready) and Molly Sheils (Centerville/Centerville) were named to the first team. Gardlik was a part of the record-setting defense, Robinson was Capital's leading scorer with 11 goals and 28 points, and Sheils' 18 points and six assists made her a part of the first team for the second consecutive season. Other Crusader honorees include sophomore Natasha Ballard (Reynoldsburg/Reynoldsburg) and freshman goalkeeper Linley Vermillion (Dayton/Northmont), who were named to the second team, along with freshman Paige Prescott (Murfreesboro, Tenn./Siegel) and junior Julie Horton (Pickerington/Pickerington North), who received honorable-mention.