By Oliver Rockman
The Emory women's soccer team defeated Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) 2-0 on Tuesday with the help of two goals from senior forward Charlotte Butker. The win was Emory's ninth of the season and the team's eighth shutout.
The Eagles made a stronger start than their opponents, taking the first eight shots of the match, before Butker found the net in the 24th minute. Assisted by senior center midfielder Jennifer Grant, the goal was Butker's third of the season. While the goal came relatively early in the game, it could have been the team's third, according to Head Coach Sue Patberg.
"[We] scored four goals, but had two taken back," Patberg said. "The first was a score off of a corner where [the referee thought] we interfered with their goalkeeper, and the second was called offside, so we had to score two more," she said.
Still, Patberg was happy to see the Eagles taking advantages of their chances.
"Whether or not we got credit for all of them, it's great to create four opportunities to capitalize on," she said.
Butker would score again in the 56th minute off a free kick from sophomore forward Cristina Ramirez. The goal secured Butker's fourth two-goal game of her career.
Patberg was pleased with the performance of her team as a whole, but was especially impressed by Butker's play.
"Charlotte [Butker] in particular had a very good work rate, was composed under pressure and showed for the ball well. [This was] something we had worked on quite a bit," she said.
Juniors Liz Arnold and Kristin Temple shared goalkeeping duties on the day.
Arnold played the first half, not having to make a single save, before being replaced by Temple, who made a career-high four saves, including two that came minutes before Butker's second goal. Arnold did not have to make any saves on the day, but solid defense is nothing new to the Eagles.
"[It has been] a tradition at Emory to have an excellent defense, and we try our hardest to continue that tradition," Arnold said.
She attributed the team's continually superb defense to its unity.
"[Our] chemistry has a lot to do with success at the back," Arnold said. "It takes a lot of communication to make sure everyone is marking. Working hard for each other is what makes us succeed."
The team has three regular season games left on the year, the results of which will determine if they make the postseason.
Patberg has been pleased with recent performances, but knows there is room for improvement.
"[Our] main focus is finding a rhythm right away, having better and more consistent communication throughout the game and starting play at a higher level," she said. "If we can accomplish those things, then that's going to create opportunities to win games."
These improvements, especially the way the team starts games, will be necessary for the Eagles to succeed in the postseason. Nonetheless, recent games have shown that the Eagles are currently in the upswing of their season.
"The past few games were great for us to get back to basics and rethink how we play," Patberg said. "[The team has shown] a lot of very good effort moving forward and [I am] proud of the way the team took these last few, weeks. They have worked hard to improve."
The Eagles' season continues this weekend, when they host two conference opponents, squaring off against the University of Rochester (N.Y.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) on Sunday.
– By Oliver Rockman, Staff Writer
Eagles Shut Out Panthers in Make-Up
Junior goalkeeper Liz Arnold takes a goal kick. Arnold was named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team for the second season of
her career this week and will now be considered for the Academic All-America Team. | Photo Courtesy of Emory Athletics
