Christendom’s men’s soccer team delivered its biggest win of the season this past week, shutting out No. 1 Penn State Greater Allegheny 4-0 on the road, while men’s rugby rolled to a 53-7 victory over Hampden-Sydney College in its home opener. Women’s volleyball also snapped a four-match losing streak by sweeping a home tri-match, while women’s soccer fell on the road to Wilson College.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team has been rolling all season, earning a No. 4 ranking from the USCAA following its strong start. Its biggest test of the season came Thursday, when the Crusaders traveled to Pennsylvania to take on No. 1 Penn State Greater Allegheny.
Christendom set the tone early, with Tim Sheedy giving the team the lead in the 18th minute. Philip Vander Woude provided even more separation soon after, scoring twice in quick succession to extend the advantage to 3-0. Joey Jalsevac then found the back of the net before halftime, sending Christendom into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
Christendom’s defense took over from there, limiting Penn State Greater Allegheny to 14 shots for the game. Six were on goal, with Michael Vander Woude saving all six to preserve the shutout. The team ultimately won 4-0, taking down the #1 seed and making a rousing statement to the rest of the USCAA. The team now stands at 6-1 on the season, next taking on Patrick Henry on the road.
Men’s Rugby
Christendom’s men’s rugby team, coming off its first win of the season last week, looked to even its record at .500 with another victory this weekend. Taking on Hampden-Sydney College in their first home game of the season, the Crusaders quickly got to work, with Caleb Richardson and Henry Kolesar scoring tries to give the team a 10-0 lead. Tries from Daniel Tucker and Conrad Woltering extended the advantage, with Christendom taking a 24-7 lead into halftime.
The Crusaders continued to pull away in the second half, with a Finian Williamson try extending the lead. Kolesar picked up his second try of the game soon after, while Peter Schmidt and Jeremiah McMahon added late tries of their own to secure the 53-7 victory. Christendom now stands at 2-2 on the season and will look to continue its momentum this coming weekend against the University of Richmond.
Women’s Volleyball
Aiming to end a four-match skid, the women’s volleyball team hosted a tri-match in front of a lively Christendom crowd this past weekend. Taking on Mid-Atlantic Christian University first, Christendom rallied from a deficit to win a tight opening set, 25-23. After pulling away in the second, Christendom and Mid-Atlantic battled back and forth early in the third. The Crusaders eventually created separation, jumping to a 20-10 lead before Kateri Speier finished off the match with a kill. Christendom swept the match 3-0 before turning its attention to Patrick Henry College.
Christendom took another tight opening set against Patrick Henry, winning 25-23 behind key plays from Monica Townsend, Lucy Stahl, Monica Smith, Serenity Fedoryka, and Ivy Akers. Riding the momentum from that opening set, the Crusaders pulled away in the second and third to complete another 3-0 sweep and take both matches of the tri-match. Christendom now stands at 9-6 on the season.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team entered Monday’s road match against Wilson College looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Both teams battled to a scoreless draw through the first 65 minutes before Theresa Luckey finally broke through with an unassisted goal to give Christendom a late lead.
Wilson responded 10 minutes later, however, tying the game at 1-1 before scoring twice more in the closing minutes to win 3-1, handing Christendom their third straight loss. The team now stands at 4-4 on the season.
For more information on scores, statistics, and upcoming games, visit christendomathletics.com.