2000 News
The Wittenberg women's soccer team enjoyed one the best seasons in its history, posting double-digit wins for the first time since 1995 and qualifying for the first-ever NCAC postseason tournament after finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference.
The 2000 edition of the Wittenberg University women's soccer team featured a roster of 15 freshman among 20 players. The team was raw, but it also showed flashes of the brilliance that may be to come as it posted the program's first winning record since 1995.
Just a few short weeks ago, it didn't seem plausible. A young Wittenberg team that had torn through its pre-NCAC schedule had seemingly peaked with a six-game win streak. Since a high-water mark of 7-1, the Tigers were defeated four straight times on the road to fall to 1-4 in the NCAC.
The Tigers emerged last week from the painful lessons taught to them by four straight conference road losses and won twice to keep their slim NCAC playoff hopes alive. Wittenberg entered the week 1-4 in the conference but mathematically alive for the four-team tournament, and the Tigers put together back-to-back wins over Earlham, 4-1 on Oct. 11, and Oberlin, 1-0 on Oct. 14.
The high hopes of the 2000 season - which were fueled by a six-game win streak - may seem like a distant memory now, but the young Tigers, with 15 freshmen on the 20-player roster, still have a lot to play for heading into the home stretch. Wittenberg hasn't put together a winning season since 1995, when the team went 15-3 overall and 6-2 in the NCAC, and this year's team could still build momentum heading into the season-ending conference tournament, scheduled to begin Oct. 26.
The Tigers have come a long way in a short time, even with 15 freshmen among its 19 players on the 2000 roster. Wittenberg, coming off a series of sub-par seasons, matched its 1999 win total of seven with a 4-3 victory over visiting Ohio Northern on Thursday.
Going into the week, it was hard to imagine things getting much better for this young and rapidly improving team. The Tigers, with just two seniors and two juniors among their 19 players, entered the week among the NCAC leaders with a 1-0 mark in the league and a 4-1 overall record. To top things off, freshman Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) was honored with NCAC Player of the Week honors for her school record-tying four-goal performance in a 6-1 win over visiting Albion.
The young Tigers continued their assault on opponents' goals last week with a pair of impressive victories. On Wednesday, Wittenberg opened NCAC action with a home victory against Kenyon, 2-0. Then on Saturday, the Tigers blistered visiting Albion, the 10th ranked team in the region, by a 6-1 count.
The Tigers kept up the offensive barrage in the second week of the season, falling 4-2 at home to Heidelberg on Tuesday before rebounding for a 7-0 victory at Rose-Hulman on Saturday. Wittenberg opened the season with an 11-1 thrashing of Urbana on Sept. 1.
The Wittenberg women's soccer team got off to a strong start, defeating Urbana 11-1 on Friday. The Tigers, with 17 freshmen on the roster, exploded offensively as nine players scored at least one goal, led by freshman forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), who tallied three goals and two assists. Wittenberg outshot Urbana 38-3 in the contest.
Head Coach Fran Kulas has named juniors Natalie Estep (Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn) and Shana Ryan (London, Ohio/London), and sophomore Emily Gersbach (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) as captains for the 2000 season.
Junior defender Shana Ryan (London, Ohio/London) has been named to the NSCAA/Adidas women's scholar athlete All-East Region third team.
Junior defender Shana Ryan (London, Ohio/London) earned several honors for her outstanding performance both on the field and in the classroom for the Tigers.
After completing his first season at the helm of the women's soccer program at Wittenberg, Head Coach Fran Kulas is ecstatic about the future of the program. The 2000 season promises a fresh start for the Tigers, who return six players and welcome 17 freshmen into the emerging program. In 1999 the Tigers recorded a 7-11-1 record and a sixth-place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference.