Box Score 86 minutes is a long time to hold on to a one-goal lead. Picking off an unbeaten and regionally ranked team on its home field was worth the wait.

No doubt the odds seemed stacked against the Blue Streaks as they headed to Case Field to battle cross town rival Case Western Reserve. John Carroll not only lost home field advantage due to the on-going tack renovation, but gave up that home field advantage to a tough Spartan team that is currently ranked fourth in the region.
 
There was also the memory of last year's loss to CWRU by a score of 2-0 where the deciding points were recorded in the final 16 minutes of the game.

After a physical and aggressive game played by both teams, John Carroll preserved with the win, finishing the game with a score 1-0.

Box Score

It did not take long for the Blue Streaks to commence their path to redemption. Senior and reigning Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Week Colleen Harmon scored the first and only goal of the game, at the 41:18 minute mark.

John Carroll would make that lead hold for a tension-packed 86 minutes.

The Spartans forced the Blue Streaks to play strong defense as Case attempted a number of attacks at JCU goalkeeper Lexi Korczynski in the first half, who was able to stop all scoring attempts. Case outshot Carroll by a total of 11-5 throughout the entire game, and by 4-2 in the first half alone. The Spartans attempted a last minute corner kick to even the game before the half, but was deflected by Korczynski, allowing the Blue Streaks to keep their 1-0 lead.

The battle continued through the second half as the Spartans fought hard to take control of the game, forcing the Blue Streaks to play consistent and strong defense. JCU keeper Nicole Grys stood her ground as the Spartans outshot the Streaks by a total of 7-3 during the second half.

Determined to beat the odds, the Blue Streaks were able to keep a strong defense while mounting several counter attacks that allowed them to hold on for their third consecutive win.
 
“It's always a good feeling winning against Case,” said Harmon, who has figured into the scoring in four of JCU's five matches this season. “There's a lot of rivalry and a lot of history between the two teams.”

“It's probably our biggest win of the season,” explained Head Coach Tracy Blasius. “Case is a great team and I'm happy we were able to get an early lead and proud that we were able to hang on to it.”

With the loss, Case -- which also received votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national top 25 poll -- dropped to 3-1-1 following its first defeat of 2011.