SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 5 ranked Spring Arbor University women’s soccer team has punched its ticket to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship for the sixth straight season following its 5-0 win over Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday.
Spring Arbor scored four first half goals, including three off of corner kicks, en route to the victory.
The top-seeded Cougars will host third-seeded Marian University in the finals next weekend after the Knights upset second-seeded, and No. 10 ranked, Grace College in the tournament’s other semifinal matchup.
Sophomore Sarah Klunder put SAU on the board early when she put a corner kick into the back of the net in the sixth minute. The Cougars doubled their lead in the 13th minute when Klunder found the head of freshman Bethany Balcer, who was just named the league’s Player of the Year, on another corner kick. Moments later, the duo would hook up once again in similar fashion with Balcer heading home another corner from Klunder.
Spring Arbor would tack on one more before halftime when freshman Casandra Besteman notched her third goal of the season. Sophomore Abbey Fuller lofted a centering pass towards the goal that the IWU netminder was unable to handle cleanly and Besteman was there to punch it in.
Indiana Wesleyan (9-9-1, 4-4-1 CL) picked up its intensity in the second half, but neither side was able to generate much offensively. However, the Cougars would add one more goal in the 77th minute coming off another corner kick. Klunder would serve a beautiful ball into the box and sophomore Renee Broekhuizen headed it past the IWU keeper.
Spring Arbor outshot Indiana Wesleyan 16-5 and held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks – scoring on four of those. Klunder finished the afternoon with one goal and three assists. Senior goalkeeper Sarah Yancer posted three saves to help the Cougars record their fourth consecutive shutout.
Spring Arbor (17-2-1, 9-0-0 CL) will seek its sixth straight Crossroads League Tournament title when it squares off against Marian (12-7-1, 5-4-0 CL) in the finals on Saturday, Nov. 14. The winner will receive the league’s automatic bid to the 32nd annual NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship.