The Colgate Women’s Soccer team had yet another successful weekend, beating Loyola 1-0 in overtime. This was the Raiders’ first Patriot League game, and they went into this game ready to play and compete with a good opponent. The Raiders, now on an eight game unbeaten streak, still have a tough schedule ahead of them as they get deeper into the Patriot

League games. 

Although the Loyola game went into overtime, the Raiders dominated the second half with both shots on goal as well as possession. So far this season, the Raiders have done a good job of possessing the ball in the offensive zone.

“One thing we were able to do particularly well was exploit their flanks out wide.” sophomore forward Sarah Coy said of the team’s strengths during the game. 

The winning goal came early on in overtime, scored by junior forward Catherine Williams, her second of the season. Williams got the ball on a through ball from fellow junior forward Jenna Raepple and was able to head the ball past the defender for the lone goal of the match. 

Despite the Raiders great record so far, they are taking one game at a time and are focused on playing their game.

“Each game we look at as the same. We do not ever take a team lightly or change the way we play to accommodate another teams’ style of play,” Coy said of the team’s outlook so far. This mentality has worked extremely well for the Raiders.

“Moving forward we are looking to increase our tempo of play while still

being able to recognize our opportunities to advance the ball and look to score,” sophomore goalie Brenna Mason said. Keeping the gameplay fast and crisp is important for the Raiders as they continue on in Patriot League play.    

“It’s a great feeling to have such a strong record so far but the team’s attitude is the same as it was before the season started,” Coy said of the team’s success. This team attitude can certainly be traced to how close all the girls on the team are and how much the first-years have been able to contribute to the team. 

With a high morale and a great winning streak, it will be interesting to see how the Raiders fare with upcoming contests against Navy this Saturday, October 4, and rival Cornell the following Monday, October 6. These games are home bouts, so hopefully the Raiders can feed off the great support they have had thus far this season and grab up two more wins.

“The biggest contributing factors for success have been the team dynamic and leadership that takes place on and off the field,” Coy said.

 With the Raiders feeding off each other’s positivity and working well together on and off the field, they should be all set for their upcoming games. They are playing like a Patriot League Championship team, so it will be exciting to see if they can continue their winning streak. 

Additionally, the Raiders’ strong play has been noticed nationally, as they were one of the nine teams receiving votes out of the top 25 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll this

past week.