By Tony Miller
Sports Information Director

GOSHEN, Ind. — After holding Indiana Wesleyan University scoreless for most of the first half, the Goshen College women's soccer team allowed a goal 3:18 before the intermission and watched 10 shots at the equalizer miss the mark in a 1-0 defeat Wednesday at the John Ingold Athletic Complex.

Carolina Villalobos Palacios took a team-high three shots for Goshen (3-11-2, 0-7-1 Crossroads League) and was the only Maple Leaf to put more than one on target. Caitlin Hughey added two shots while Londyn Feasel posted Goshen's most dangerous chance, whipping a shot over the crossbar with 6:07 left in regulation. The Maple Leafs' shot total was their best of the conference season so far.

The Wildcats (11-2-3, 4-2-2), who got votes in Tuesday's edition of the NAIA national coaches poll, moved one step closer to clinching a first-round home match in next month's Crossroads League tournament. IWU got its tally from Olivia Schmidt, whose header from a Lexis Garcia cross on the team's 13th shot of the game would be its only breakthrough despite 27 attempts.

The match included the most fouls of any GC contest this season, with the Maple Leafs committing 14 to IWU's nine. The Wildcats gave back part of their set-piece advantage with three offside violations in the last 10 minutes but made up for it by taking all nine of the match's corner kicks.

Katie Baer made 10 saves for Goshen, raising her season total to 115 and bringing her within a dozen stops of the top 10 single-season marks in school history. Alex Seabeck's five saves earned her the shutout for IWU.

The loss ended Goshen's hopes of qualifying for a second consecutive Crossroads League tournament; losses by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday and Saint Francis on Tuesday enabled Bethel to clinch the final spot despite a loss of their own.

Goshen concludes its season at Grace at 7 p.m. Saturday.