Rarely is a loss a good result; however, in the case of the Raider women’s soccer team, it might have been helpful in giving them a wake-up call. For the second consecutive game, the Raiders blanked their opponent, this time defeating Wagner, 4-0, at Van Doren Field on Sunday. The victory, which improved the Raider record to 2-1, came at the right moment, as the Raiders prepare for the upcoming UConn Tournament this weekend.Determined not to give another game way, the Raiders got on the board early and often and left no doubt as to who would win this game. The offense got some help from some of their lesser known players, such as first-year Margot Campbell, who initiated the Raider attack with her first collegiate goal. Not to be outdone, sophomore standout Franny Iacuzzi scored Colgate’s second goal of the game a mere four minutes later, setting the tone for the remainder of the match. Now that the team accustoms itself with the rash of injuries that has plagued the team, the Raiders are gelling as a team and, when they are at their best – such as last Sunday – it seems impossible to defeat them. The women continued to pile on the offense against Wagner, with goals from junior Jackie Burch and first-year Josie Johnson. The two goals put the game well out of reach even before halftime. On a talented team that includes seniors Kelly Kuss up front, Heather McSherry in the midfield, Carolyn Warhaftig on defense and Luisa Miller in net, the emergence of first-years Campbell and Johnson only serves to reiterate the depth of the team this year. For Campbell, Sunday’s victory was very relieving, “because the next two weeks are going to be intense.” On Sunday it only took 11 minutes, but the damage was done and the Raiders were well on their way to another victory. Everything is that much easier when your goalkeepers, in this case Miller and sophomore Brittany Pearsall, did not even have to make a single save between them. In the end, Wagner had one shot, which did not even come on net. The Raider defense was stellar and the offense was even better. Rarely can a team achieve such balanced play in back-to-back games. As we have come to see, the Raiders are a special team and that cohesion has enabled them to produce masterful results. Over the weekend, Colgate will seek to continue its great play in the UConn Tournament, playing games against St. John’s and the host school, Connecticut. As a quality team, it will be non-league games such as these, played against equally talented opponents, that will determine their place in the Patriot League and, more generally, the region.