Christendom’s varsity athletic teams found plenty of success over Labor Day weekend, with women’s soccer earning a commanding shutout on the road, men’s soccer picking up another early-season victory, and women’s volleyball sweeping its home-opening tri-match.
Women’s Soccer
Following a tough 2-1 loss to Patrick Henry at home on Wednesday, the women’s soccer team returned to the win column Saturday with a decisive road victory over Penn State Schuylkill.
Maria Blank opened the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 19th minute, giving Christendom a 1-0 advantage that held through halftime. Marissa Meyer gave the Crusaders some breathing room early in the second half, scoring in the 48th minute before finding the back of the net again just five minutes later. Christendom’s defense handled the rest, securing a 3-0 victory.
Serena Keller was outstanding once again in net for the Crusaders, making seven saves to earn her second shutout of the season.
Men’s Soccer
On the men’s soccer side, the Crusaders followed their decisive 7-0 season-opening victory over Williamson with a 3-2 road win over Central Penn on Wednesday. Philip Vander Woude, Isaias Odiatu, and Tim Sheedy each scored for Christendom, while Michael Vander Woude turned in another strong performance in net.
The Crusaders returned home Friday to take on Hagerstown CC, with the two teams locked in a scoreless battle for most of the match. Hagerstown finally broke through Christendom’s defense with less than four minutes remaining before adding a second goal approximately two minutes later, handing the Crusaders a hard-fought 2-0 loss.
Women’s Volleyball
The women’s volleyball team played its home opener in front of a packed crowd of Crusader fans Saturday, welcoming Central Penn and Harrisburg Community College to campus for a USCAA tri-match.
Christendom opened the day against Central Penn, winning the first set before dropping the next two to put its back against the wall. The Crusaders responded by taking the fourth set to force a decisive fifth, which they won convincingly to complete the comeback and earn their first victory of the season.
Lucy Stahl led Christendom with 19.5 points and 24 digs, while Serenity Fedoryka added 18 points.
The Crusaders carried that momentum into their second match, defeating Harrisburg 3-1 to complete a sweep of the home tri-match. Fedoryka led Christendom with 14.5 points, followed closely by Stahl with 14 and Monica Smith with 13.
Men’s Rugby
The men’s rugby team opened its season on the road against Franciscan University in the annual Shield Rugby Match. With a young roster entering the year, the Crusaders battled against Franciscan but ultimately fell 35-7.
Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country
Christendom’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams also opened their seasons on the road, competing in the Father Bede Invitational at Saint Francis University. Both teams placed fifth overall, with Christopher McAdam leading the men’s team with a top-30 finish and Grace Kristine pacing the women with a top-45 finish.
For schedules, results, and more information, visit christendomathletics.com.