After missing the last three games due to an injury, senior captain Anna Rusch (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends School) returned to the Denison lineup in a big way as she scored both goals in the Big Red's 2-0 victory over Transylvania University on Wednesday evening from Barclay-Thomsen Field in Granville.
Rusch showed no signs of rust as she made her presence known early in the match. Just six minutes into the contest, the senior gave the Big Red a 1-0 on their first shot of the night. Rusch intercepted a clearing attempt by a Pioneer defender and buried a shot from 30 yards out into the upper left 90.
DU continued to apply the offensive pressure throughout the opening half. In the 22nd minute, Denison had a chance to increase their lead, but a shot by sophomore Lauren Farell (Sylvania, Ohio/Toledo Central Catholic) ricocheted off the crossbar. The Big Red ended the half with an 8-2 advantage in shots.
Like in the first half, Rusch found the back of the net in the early stages of the second frame. Following a Transy foul just outside the goal box, Rusch fired the free kick past a three-person wall and into the upper right 90 to give Denison a 2-0 lead at the 52:13 mark.
Junior Jen Clemmer (Hixson, Tenn./The Baylor School) had a chance to tack on another insurance goal at 88:07, but a diving save by Pioneer keeper Cori Hickman shutdown the opportunity. Transylvania's Ashley Cobane had a chance to cut the deficit in half just 20 seconds later, but senior Courtney Cobb (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) made an outstanding save to preserve the shutout.
With just second left in regulation Rusch had a chance to tally her third goal of the game, but an impressive defense save kept the senior captain from recording a hat trick.
DU finished the night with a 12-7 advantage in shots, which included a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. Both squads attempted three corner kicks. Cobb finished the night with four saves en route to her sixth shutout this season. Kara Hansel made three stops in the opening half for Transy, while Hickman posted two saves.
Denison improves to 5-2-1 on the year, while Transylvania falls to 4-2-1 overall. The Big Red return to action on Saturday (Sept. 26) when they host Kalamazoo College at 1 p.m.
