Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

OUAZ Athletics

Kendall Caron 9.1.21

Women's Soccer

Season Rolls on With Pair of In-State Matchups

After earning its first home win of the season, and head coach Skelly Kellar's 100 as an NAIA coach, the OUAZ women's soccer team gets back into action with a pair of games against in-state rivals this week. The Spirit will travel to the East Valley to meet with Benedictine-Mesa, then come home for a Friday under the lights against Park-Gilbert.

OUAZ is off to a 2-1 start, and have won at least two of its first three games every season of existence. The game Friday night will mark the team's last home game until September 24, as four of the team's next five games are away from Surprise.

Hitting the road for non-conference games has proven a good time for this core group of players, as the Spirit have won five of its last seven such games dating back to the 2019 season. They have not lost more than two non-conference road games in a single season during the history of the program.

The Spirit have not allowed a goal to the RedHawks of BenU-Mesa since the 2017 season when the teams tied in Surprise on October 14. OUAZ is 2-1-1 all-time in the series, with the lone loss coming in the first game between the two programs early in 2017.

Park-Gilbert has met OUAZ just once, and it was in the first game of the Buccaneers' program. The Spirit scored 11 times en-route to a season-opening shutout victory on August 17, 2019, and did not have a matchup last Spring.

Cassidi Calzaretta has continued to impress up front, as she scored again during her team's 3-1 victory over University of the Southwest (N.M.) last Thursday.  She has now recorded a goal in three of her last four games, and a pair of multi-goal games in that stretch.

While Calzaretta has the most goals, the other Spirit players are finding themselves on the scoresheet often. Five players have scored for OUAZ this season, and eight different players have at least one point in the three games this fall.

The Spirit have scored a lot of goals so far in this short season because they are creating plenty of opportunities. OUAZ has already taken 14 corner kicks in three games, which ranks 11th in the NAIA entering the week.

Wednesday's game at BenU is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m. from Eagles Park in Mesa, with admission to the game free. Kickoff Friday from Spirit Field is scheduled for 6 p.m., and tickets are still available at ouazspirit.com/tickets.
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Cassidi Calzaretta

#16 Cassidi Calzaretta

F
5' 7"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Cassidi Calzaretta

#16 Cassidi Calzaretta

5' 7"
Junior
F