BOX SCORE WESTERVILLE, Ohio - A bending ball into the back of the net in the 10th minute proved to be just too much for a stingy Capital women's soccer team to overcome in a 1-0 loss at #11 Otterbein in the OAC Semifinals on Wednesday afternoon.
The Crusaders (13-7-2) out shot the Cardinals (17-1-1) 12-6 in the second half and earned three corner kicks to OC's one after halftime but could not convert on a number of quality scoring chances to extend the match.
Junior Linley Vermillion (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont HS) made four saves to keep Capital to within one goal of nationally-ranked Otterbein for the second time in just five days.
After both sides felt each other out for the first few minutes, Samantha Shaffer fired her first shot on goal in the ninth minute which was smothered by Otterbein goalkeeper Tara Carter. Carter fed the ball quickly up to the Cardinal midfield who got the ball forward into the offensive zone. As Capital tried to clear the ball, Adrienne Novak intercepted a pass and fired from just outside the box and put the ball just inside the right post for a 1-0 OC lead in the 10th minute.
From there the match got more physical as each team was whistled for seven fouls in the first half. Capital worked the ball forward in the 24th minute for its first corner kick of the match. Kaylee Phillips served a ball from the far side into the front of the net. After a big collision between Molly Sheils and Jenny Knox the ball went right to Natasha Ballard at the far post. Just as Ballard was ready to fire a shot on goal with just one defender in front, a foul was called on the Crusaders to end the play for its final scoring opportunity of the first half.
After the intermission, Capital turned up the offensive pressure as Kellie Gustin and Katie Robinson each ripped off shots toward the goal within the first three minutes. The Crusaders then picked up a pair of corner kicks and fired a flurry of five shots toward the goal in a span of less than four minutes, but two went wide and another two were blocked by the Cardinal defense to keep CU down by one goal in the 59th minute.
Capital would get another great look in the 83rd minute when CU worked the ball forward as Tara Zimmer fired a shot that was blocked and found its way to Phillips at the front of an empty net. Phillips shot at the goal just as an Otterbein defender slid in front to save the ball and keep the Crusaders off the scoreboard.
Sheils would fire one last shot toward the Otterbein goal on a open look with 96 seconds left, but the ball went high of the crossbar and Capital fell 1-0.