A stunning second half goal from Abigail Cox carried the Crusaders over the Grant Generals on Wednesday night. 

Jesuit faced off against the reigning 6A champions on Cronin Field. With 7 straight wins going into the game, the Crusaders were determined to remain undefeated. Grant looked to improve their record of 3-1-1. 

Jesuit came out strong in the beginning, propelled by the home crowd. They continued to create chances through multiple free kicks and shots on goal. Defensively, the Crusaders remained strong through Eva Grunkemeier and Sophia Stiles. Zoe Anderson commanded her goal and confidently claimed balls in the air. 

The Crusaders nearly scored with ten minutes to go in the first half. Audrey Kent flicked the ball to Claudia Rose, who cannoned a volley off the right post. The ball bounced agonizingly across the goal, and was cleared away by Grant. The first half ended level, with both sides contesting in a feisty match.

The Crusaders knew it would take something special to pull out a win. As the second half began, Jesuit increased their pressure on Grant’s back line. 

Their first chance of the half came from Cox, who had a left footed shot that was denied by the keeper. Jesuit continued to knock on the door, and it seemed inevitable that they would find a goal.

With fifteen minutes to go, the Crusaders finally found the breakthrough. Stiles dribbled the ball out of the back before playing the ball across the field to Cox, who cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot into the top right corner. It was a beautifully crafted goal that was well deserved for Jesuit. 

Jesuit managed to hang on for the rest of the game. Grant made one final push to equalize, but could not find a way through the Crusaders’ formidable defense. The Generals had a player sent off in the last minutes which sealed their fate. The game ended as a 1-0 victory for Jesuit. 

Goal scorer Cox talked about how important the win was for the team. 

“It feels great,” Cox said. “It was a good team win and team effort.”

Cox also mentioned how this win will impact their outlook on future matchups. 

“Non-conference games are good,” Cox said. “Now we’re just looking forward to the Metro League.”