Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College men's soccer team battled Case Western Reserve on Wednesday night, with goalkeeper Ved Puttagunta making eight saves in his collegiate debut during a 4-0 setback at Shults Field.
The Spartans finished with a 29-2 advantage in shots and a 12-2 edge in corner kicks. Puttagunta's eight saves highlighted the defensive effort, while Oberlin committed 11 fouls compared to eight by CWRU.
"That's a very good team, and we knew they were going to challenge us. I schedule games like this early in the season to prepare us for conference play." Head Coach Blake New said. "Overall, I thought we defended their set pieces well. They're a tough team to play because anytime the ball goes out within 30 yards of the goal, it feels like a corner kick with their long throw-ins."
The Spartans opened the scoring in the 14', converting a rebound after Puttagunta denied the initial attempt. CWRU added another goal in the 34' to take a 2-0 advantage into halftime.
Puttagunta remained active in goal throughout the evening, making five saves in the opening half before adding three more after the break. He turned away a pair of chances early in the second period, recording stops in the 47' and 54'.
Case Western Reserve extended its lead in the 60' before converting a penalty kick at the 73:11 mark for the final goal of the match.
Oberlin continued searching for opportunities until the final whistle. Ishaan Saini produced the Yeomen's first attempt late in the opening half, while Sullivan Buch added a shot in the 86'. The Crimson and Gold also earned one corner kick in each half.
"I thought Ved had a good debut, even though he conceded four goals. With Lukas out today, I thought he was the right person for the job." New emphasized. "We have to learn from this, and as long as we learn the lesson now instead of three weeks from now when conference play begins, we'll be fine." New concluded.
The Crimson and Gold return to action on Friday, September 11, when they travel to Kalamazoo for a 3 p.m. kickoff.
Keep up with the Crimson and Gold on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and watch every home game on the Oberlin Sports Network online or through Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
