Women's soccer team has plenty to celebrate at DePaul this season

If anyone has a good perspective on the best celebrations of a goal in soccer, it's Erin Chastain.

The DePaul women's soccer coach is related to the most iconic celebrator of all time. Who can forget when Brandi Chastain, Erin's sister-in-law, scored a goal in a penalty shootout with China to give Team USA a win in the finals of the 1999 World Cup? Chastain ripped off her jersey, fell to her knees in her sports bra, and flexed her arms in victory.

While Chastain's Blue Demons haven't reached that level so far, their goal celebrations are still intense.

"I've never seen a team celebrate goals as well as they do," Erin Chastain said of her players. "It's hugging, it's piling on each other, it's just unbelievable excitement.

"In some programs, you might be playing in a game that you're supposed to win, so when you score, it's no big deal. With our team, it's a big deal no matter what. It's refreshing to see your players have that kind of perspective. It's refreshing to see them enjoy every single score."

There certainly has been plenty for the Blue Demons to celebrate this season.

After Saturday's Big East win over visiting Creighton, DePaul is 12-0-2 on the season and one of only four undefeated teams left in Division I. The Blue Demons, ranked ninth nationally, are also sporting a school-record 14-game unbeaten streak.

One of their biggest wins this season came in August against Nebraska, ranked No. 13 in the nation at the time.

"There's a little bit of pressure that comes with being undefeated. But it's more of a motivation," said midfielder Alexa Ben, a freshman from Schaumburg who leads the Blue Demons in assists with 6. She also has 5 goals. "We want to keep the streak going, and we want to prove why what we're doing is working."

Ben says the biggest key is the team's chemistry and the fun they have. It's unlike any team she's been on.

"It's a breath of fresh air, because there are a lot of teams where it's not like this," Ben said. "We're unique. It's sometimes hard to find the right personnel where everyone just clicks, and they don't bring anything onto the field, but that's the way this team is.

"We don't fight at all, and everyone's happy no matter who's scoring or having a good game. And we all have similar characteristics, like the same childish humor. We're always cracking jokes or making funny side comments. We're always laughing. It's just a really fun team to be a part of and you can see that in the way we play."

Before the season, Ben was unsure how much she'd play as a freshman. But she and four other freshmen, including Lucy Edwards from Lake Forest, Jessica Weaver from New Trier and Jessica Schmidt from Maine South, have been counted on heavily.

"It's surreal the way things have gone," said Ben, who has started every game. "To think I've worked myself up to even playing college soccer. Now, to know that I'm making a difference on a really great team, it's just been wonderful. That's always been a dream of mine."

A dream scenario for the Blue Demons would include postseason success. DePaul has qualified for the NCAA tournament twice (2003, 2013), but has not advanced past the first round.

"We're so excited about the potential of this group," Chastain said. "Early on, we felt like, 'Wow, this is a really good team.' We know we still have a lot of work to do and we need to stay focused on what's right in front of us. But this team is just so fun to coach, fun to be around. They work hard. We think they can do a lot of good things."

• Follow Patricia on Twitter at @babcockmcgraw and contact her by email at pbabcock@dailyherald.com