The Holy Cross women’s soccer team took down Chicagoland Athletic Conference foe Viterbo 2-1 on Saturday. Inspired by an 83rd-minute game-winner from senior captain Mia Gartoni, the Saints improved to 4-5-1 with the win, and 3-1-1 in conference play.
Junior midfielder Casey Hill slotted the ball into the back of the net to provide Viterbo with a lead just before the first half drew to a close. However, the Saints did not break. They remained composed and played sharp football to start the second half.
Their efforts were rewarded when freshman Quinn Pankiewicz scored in the 63rd minute. The Mishawaka native has excelled since stepping into a starting role for the Saints in the past five matches. Since Pankiewicz has assumed a position in the starting 11, the Saints have won three games. Without her, the Saints only recorded one win in the first five fixtures of the year.
From there, the game grew chippy. Junior defender Abigail Fouts received a yellow card in the 70th minute as both teams began to play a more physical brand of soccer.
Eventually, Holy Cross broke through once again with Garatoni’s goal. The leader of the Saints team, her finish drew an eruption from the Holy Cross dugout.
After dropping its first three games of the season by a combined 7-0, Holy Cross has been on a roll since then. They’ve recorded victories over Goshen, Judson, St. Ambrose and Viterbo since Sept. 3. Their only losses in that stretch are courtesy of Rochester Christian and St. Francis — who they both fell to 2-1.
Holy Cross is situated fifth in the CCAC standings. With a few more dates against several teams nestled towards the bottom of the table on the schedule, it’s more than likely that they are able to shoot up the standings before the playoffs.
However, the Saints aren’t focused there just yet. For now, their attention is set to conference opponent Mount Mary. The Blue Angels are 0-8 overall this season and 0-5 within the conference. They are yet to score a goal.
On paper, this should be a relatively smooth-sailing game for head coach Duma Magagula’s team. The Saints beat Trinity Christian 1-0, which in turn put five goals on Mount Mary.
It is important to note that this is Mount Mary’s first year in the NAIA. They are led by head coach Robert Baker, who has a lot of experience in the Milwaukee soccer scene and is laying the foundations for the program.
Seeking another CCAC win, the Saints will once again rely on the play of their talented attackers. Junior Frances Parks currently leads the way with four goals, doing so in only six matches. With Parks in the lineup, Holy Cross has a reliable forward they can expect to score goals.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with streaming on Holy Cross’ athletic website.
