Delaware Rising puts unbeaten record on the line against Firelands United
The month of May and the start of the Northern Ohio Soccer League (NOSL) season have been memorable for the women of Delaware Rising.
Rising currently sits atop the NOSL standings with an unblemished 3-0-0 record and looks to keep the momentum rolling when it welcomes expansion side Firelands United to Buckeye Valley High School this afternoon.
The first two matches of the season saw Rising play more than 180 consecutive minutes of shutout soccer while outscoring its opponents by a 5-0 margin. Defensively, goalkeepers Ella Schwertfager (Otterbein) and Sally Patton (Loyola Chicago) have been remarkable between the sticks, combining for a shutout every time they have appeared on the team sheet together.
Despite being a recent college graduate, Schwertfager continues to show why she enjoyed such a successful career with the Otterbein Cardinals. She made a remarkable double save in the season opener against Ohio City and was called into action again against Panthers FC the following week.
Patton has fit in well with this Rising group. She and her defense held the reigning NOSL champions to just one goal in a 3-1 victory over Susserfuss last weekend in less-than-ideal conditions. The Ramblers’ backstop made an incredible goal-line save that energized the defense and helped power Delaware to a victory over the defending champions.
Speaking of the win against Susserfuss, Kasey Duke (Capital) was instrumental, recording a goal and an assist. It’s evident that Duke enjoys sharing the midfield with her older sister, Kindall Duke (Western Michigan), as the two display excellent chemistry and seamlessly connect the defense to the attack.
The Rising attack continues to impress as well. Rileigh Glassburn (Ohio Northern) made her presence felt in her debut last week, finding the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
Natalie Dye (Detroit Mercy) continues to pressure opposing defenses, and many within the Rising camp credit her with the play that forced the Susserfuss own goal in the opening minutes of last week’s match.
Avery Miller (Queens) returns to the fold this week, looking to continue her strong run of form after scoring in each of the first two matches of the season. Joining her back on the pitch today will be Lindsey Castillo (IU Indy), who has also troubled NOSL defenses throughout the early part of the campaign.
Kickoff from Buckeye Valley High School is scheduled for 1 p.m., and we will have complete coverage on our Twitter account.