WOMEN'S SOCCER CONTINUES WINNING WAYS AGAINST METHODIST

SALISBURY, Md.- The Capital women's soccer team will head back to Columbus this week after dispatching both Guilford and Methodist this past weekend at the Elmer Lord Invitational, the latter a 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Like the first matchup with Guilford, Capital (2-0) won the match with two second-half goals after both teams sparred to a scoreless first half. Samantha Shaffer (Englewood, OH/ Northmont HS) and Natasha Ballard's (Reynoldsburg, OH/ Reynoldsburg HS) first goals of the year netted the Crusader's second victory in as many days.

"I felt we had control in the game, but we weren't showing it with our first half performance. But after halftime, we really put a lot more emphasis on the seniors and told them to step up, and they responded," head Coach Dwight Burgess said.

Shaffer headed in the match's first goal at the 54^th minute mark after teammate Kellie Gustin (Springboro OH/Springboro HS) crossed her a pass from the right side of the box.

Ballard's goal was an unassisted, well-played shot just over Methodist (1-2) keeper Kasey Nichols in the 62^nd minute. Capital then withstood a Methodist goal by Kelly Orpin in the 72^nd minute to preserve the victory.

"Nobody wants to give up goals, but it was a very good goal and there were some young players on the field when it happened that had to deal with some adversity," said Burgess, whose team outshot Methodist 17-10. "They had to get back to their game and secure a win for us, and they were able to do that."

The weekend was a successful trip overall for the squad, as the team was able to win both matches and had time to mesh together both on and off the field.

"Ultimately, it was a very good experience for the kids. They're fun to be around, and they enjoy being around each other," Burgess said. "Now, they're more used to each other on the field, and hopefully the demeanor that the seniors have will rub off on the freshmen."

After a weekend in Maryland, the women will begin preparations for their 4:00 p.m. matchup with Anderson on Wednesday, their first home game of the season and the start of a Crusader soccer doubleheader.   Fans can follow the action with FREE Live Video, Audio and Live Stats at www.CapitalCrusaders.net.