Tigers One Game Closer To NCAC Title With 2-1 Win Over Gators

Kristi Burkitt

MEADVILLE, Pa. — The Tiger women's soccer team moved one game closer to a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season title and home-field advantage for the NCAC Tournament with a come-from-behind victory at nationally-ranked No. 21 Allegheny on Saturday. Wittenberg improved to 13-3-1 overall and 5-1-0 in the NCAC with the win.

Coming into the game, the Tigers faced a difficult final stretch of the regular season, including games against both of the teams ahead of them in the NCAC standings, Allegheny and Wooster. The win, along with a surprising loss for Wooster at Kenyon on Saturday, has begun to resolve the postseason picture. In the NCAC's typically competitive fashion, the conference title comes down to one game.

Allegheny, at 3-1-2 in-league following Saturday's loss to Wittenberg, can no longer challenge for the championship. Wittenberg needs only to tie Wooster in their 1 p.m. game in Wooster, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 30, to claim the conference title and host the league tournament, thanks to the Fighting Scots' loss to Kenyon. A loss to the Scots would deliver the NCAC trophy to Wooster, and the conference tournament would follow.

Against Allegheny, the Tigers got down 1-0 early and were forced to fight from behind to put themselves in position for the conference title. The Gators' Nicole Mascia took a pass on the left approach and maneuvered past the Tigers' advancing sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Gartner (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) to take the lead in the 19th minute.

In the 33rd minute, the Tigers put themselves back on equal footing at 1-1 with a goal from sophomore Kailey Striebel (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), her team-leading eighth score of the season, on an assist from junior Sheryl Chambers (Victorville, Calif./St. Joan of Arc).

The game remained deadlocked through the remainder of the first period and through most of the second as the teams battled across the pitch. The game appeared to be heading towards extra minutes before junior Kristi Burkitt (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) chose the perfect time to rattle the goal with her first score of the season. The goal handed the Tigers a 2-1 lead that they were able to hold through the remaining eight minutes of the game for the win.

Allegheny's defense earned them a national ranking this season with 10 straight shutouts to open the season, but the renewed 2010 Wittenberg offense was able to push through and became the first team this season to score multiple goals on the Gators. Wittenberg posted 10 shots, including five on goal, while Gartner kept Allegheny at bay with five saves against one goal allowed.

Wittenberg rests for a week before the de facto regular season championship game with Wooster next Saturday.