Scots Repel Wittenberg Comeback Bid In 3-1 Tiger Loss
Down 3-0 at halftime to Wooster, the Wittenberg field hockey team nearly pulled off a late-game comeback bid, but the breaks did not go their way in a 3-1 loss despite an energetic second-half attack in the team's North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opener. The Tigers fell to even at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the NCAC.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Down 3-0 at halftime to Wooster, the Wittenberg field hockey team nearly pulled off a late-game comeback bid, but the breaks did not go their way in a 3-1 loss despite an energetic second-half attack in the team's North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opener. The Tigers fell to even at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the NCAC.
The visiting Scots, now 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the NCAC, broke out to a 3-0 lead starting 11 minutes in on a penalty stroke. Two more goals came in the last seven minutes of the first half, but the Wooster offense ran dry following the intermission. The Tiger defense stopped eight shots in the second half compared to 11 in the first, five in each period thanks to the goalkeeping of junior Jenny Schaafsma (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids).
The numbers do not tell the whole story of the second half, with the Tigers registering just five shots and one on goal. In reality, the offense pushed Wooster's defense to the brink on multiple occasions, building to a quickly paced final 10 minutes of play.
Senior forward Boo Vernon (Lake Bluff, Ill./Cushing Academy) started the offensive push in the 58th minute following a penalty corner, when she grabbed a deflection off the goalkeeper's pads and sent it to the back of the cage from short range. Following the goal, the Tigers went into overdrive, stopped only by the expiring clock.
Vernon and senior forward/midfielder Tori Casanta (Mason, Ohio/Cor Jesu Academy) paced the Tiger attack with four shots each, followed by two each from junior forward Elizabeth Dwyer (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) and freshman defender/midfielder Arlette Kuik (Leiden, The Netherlands/Vossius).
Senior defender Meredith Price (Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Country Day) and freshman forward Muriel Weinstein (Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Vossius) each tallied one shot in the game. Senior midfielder Hannah Scheckelhoff (Blacklick, Ohio/Columbus School For Girls) and Kuik each registered one defensive save to keep Wooster in check.
John Strawn '07