The Eastern University women’s soccer team settled for a 0-0 draw in double overtime against the Cabrini Cavaliers on Sept. 6. As a tie, this game sustains the Eagles’ 14 game-winning streak against the Cavaliers. Nicole Weenink, a sophomore on the women’s soccer team, elaborates on the rivalry between Eastern and Cabrini. “We call it the battle of Eagle Road,” she explains. “It is also a lot of fun being so close together, because fans can just walk across the street to cheer their teams on. For a lot of the sports teams, the rivalry sets who ‘controls’ Eagle Road. It serves almost as bragging rights.” The Eagles’ winning streak against Cabrini began in 2003, and hopefully will not be broken anytime soon. Weenink shared that the rivalry “adds more hype and adrenaline” before the game and helps the team get mentally ready to play.
Weenink also offered some insight as to why the game ended in a draw, explaining that the game took place at the beginning of the season while the team was still adjusting to a new coach and learning how to work well together. New coach Brandon West, a graduate from Messiah University, is the sixth women’s soccer coach in Eastern University’s history. West played in 78 games during his college career and graduated with Jeremey Payne, the women’s soccer interim coach. Coach West reported that one of the highlights of the game was that the Eagles created opportunities to score and chances to win the game. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Coach West described that the Cavaliers were “more disciplined on the defensive side of the ball.” West also cited Cabrini’s strong defense as the reason the teams were evenly matched. Luckily for Eastern, the goalie, Adrianna Rowlands, kept Cabrini from scoring with eight saves.
The Eagles were forced to make some lineup adjustments for the game. Weenink explains, “We were missing a couple players due to injuries, but we still came out and fought… Of course a win would have been nice, but we fought hard and gave it our all and came out with a tie. Each and every player left their all on the field and that’s all we could have asked for.”
The team is looking forward to a great season working with Coach West and learning to play under his different coaching style. Weenink shares that she’s excited to learn how to play better under a new coach and looking forward to “growing as a team on and off the field.” In the next “Battle of Eagle Road” against Cabrini, the Eagles have a great chance of emerging victorious.
Sources: goeasterneagles.com