Thursday, October 23, 2014
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LCU Women Drop Final Match at Mount Mary

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[October 23, 2014]  LINCOLN - The Lincoln Christian University (LCU) women's soccer team had hoped for a long and prosperous season in 2014. Tragic circumstances robbed them of the statistical success they hoped for and ended their season prematurely.

Tuesday's match at Mount Mary University (MMU) was to be game 10 of a 12-match season. Sadly, due to roster issues, the team has announced they cannot play their final two matches. A roster that was once 14 players strong has been reduced over the course of the season to just seven. Five players lost to season-ending injuries, and two decided to focus their efforts on academics.

At MMU on Tuesday, LCU started 8 players to match up against a gracious host squad that also put out 8, even though they had enough to start the full 11-player squad. Grateful for the concession, LCU was optimistic about getting a result from a team with whom they had already battled closely earlier in the season. Despite a promising surge at the end of both halves that produced the most shots-on-goal in any game this season, none found the back of the net, leaving LCU behind in the score 6-0, and winless for the first time in three seasons.
 


A bright spot for the game and the season was Goalkeeper Katie Stuva (FR/Springfield, IL). With 17 saves at Mount Mary, and an overall saves-per-game average of 17.2, Stuva holds the top spot in the NAIA for the season. Additionally, she ranks fourth overall in total saves for the season at 155. Stuva controlled her area well at MMU, where she managed to knock down several dangerous passes in addition to her saves and came out strong against a quick and dangerous attack from Mount Mary.

Utility midfielder Morgan Witzke (FR/Clinton, IL) ran the entire game, trying to manage the center of the park by herself in the compromised 3-3-1 formation. Attacking when she could and still getting back to quell numerous potential attacks from the MMU Blue Angles, Witzke earned the Red Lions best opportunity to score when she was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty kick in the 14th minute. The bench urged centerback Rebecca Laker (JR/Hanover Park, IL) to come forward and take it since she had finished these opportunities so well in practice. Despite a very well placed ball, the MMU keeper guessed right and was able to parry it away to preserve the 3-0 score line.

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Women's Soccer Head Coach Todd Spellman found praise for his team by saying, "I really couldn't be prouder of our girls, because through all the adversity of the season we kept our heads up, played all 90 minutes of every game as hard as we were capable and maintained great character and sportsmanship through it all. In the end, the stats won't show the kind of success we had, but I feel we laid the ground work for future seasons by building a team culture around our core values that we can add more experience and fitness to as we recruit."

LCU’s School of Undergraduate Studies is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Founded in Lincoln, Illinois, in 1944, Lincoln Christian University’s three schools – the School of Undergraduate Studies, the Hargrove School of Adult & Graduate Studies and the Seminary – share a mission to nurture and equip Christians with a Biblical worldview to serve and lead in the church and the world. For more information about the Red Lions visit LincolnChristian.edu/athletics.

[Todd Spellman, Lincoln Christian University]

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