Tigers Lock Down NCAC Title With 9-0 Win Over Earlham

Lauren Arsenault

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — With a 9-0 win over visiting Earlham, the Wittenberg field hockey team assured itself of at least a share of the 2010 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season championship by improving to 10-1 in the league and 13-3 overall.

The Tigers can claim sole possession of the league trophy on with a win over Kenyon at home on Edwards-Maurer Field at Noon on Saturday, Oct. 30. The College of Wooster is close behind at 8-2, but must win both of their remaining NCAC contests against Oberlin and Earlham and hope for a Tiger loss to be in position to claim a share of the trophy.

Wittenberg came away with a 3-0 win over the Kenyon Ladies in their only prior meeting this season on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

The Tigers secured the season sweep of Earlham following an 11-1 win on Sept. 15 in Richmond. Wittenberg got the scoring started just 1:55 into the game thanks to senior Tori Casanta's (Mason, Ohio/Cor Jesu Academy) 16th goal of the season.

Casanta added No. 17 in the 21st minute to make it 2-0 heading to halftime. She scored No. 18 in the 37th minute to bring her season total to 18 and push her team to a 3-0 lead on assists from junior Taylor Dawley (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) and sophomore Kellen Morrissey (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill).

The third goal from Casanta kicked off a rally in which Wittenberg scored four goals in a span of six and a half minutes. Senior Boo Vernon (Lake Bluff, Ill./Cushing Academy) made it 4-0 in the 42nd minute with an unassisted goal, followed quickly by a goal from junior Elizabeth Dwyer (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) just 39 seconds later on an assist by freshman Arlette Kuik (Leiden, The Netherlands/Vlietland).

Kuik also assisted on Vernon's second goal less than two minutes later, pushing her season scoring total to 21, which ties her for the sixth-best single season in the program's record book .

Kuik then took center stage with a goal of her own, her second of the season, in the 51st minute to make it a 7-0 game. She was assisted by junior Lauren Arsenault (Templeton, Mass./Cushing Academy).

Freshman Nina de Roos (The Netherlands/Maartens College) delivered both of the Tigers' final two goals, the first with help from freshman Torrey Williams (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley).

Saturday's matchup with Kenyon provides the Tigers an opportunity to claim their first outright NCAC title since 2004, while Vernon stands just two goals away from tying the career record of 77, held currently by Amy Kraus, who played from 1994 to 1997. Casanta is five goals behind Vernon with 70 for her career and already holds third place in the record books.

John Strawn '07