Tigers Knock Off Nationally Ranked Illinois Wesleyan In Overtime
It took a few games and little bit of home cooking for the Wittenberg Tigers to hit their stride under new Head Coach Kwame Lloyd. After a 1-0 overtime win over ninth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan, it appears that the Tigers have done just that.
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Cassie Lythjohan
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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — It took a few games and little bit of home cooking for the Wittenberg Tigers to hit their stride under new Head Coach Kwame Lloyd. After a 1-0 overtime win over ninth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan, it appears that the Tigers have done just that.
The win moved Wittenberg to 3-2 on the young season after an 0-2 start. The Tigers won three games in five days, all in the friendly confines of Edwards-Maurer Field. Illinois Wesleyan lost for the first time in 2011 to drop to 3-1.
The Titans had more offensive opportunities in the game, outshooting Wittenberg 9-4 in the first half and 12-4 in the second half and collecting nine corner kick opportunities, compared to two for Wittenberg. However, the Tiger defense closed ranks to allow few quality looks at their goal, and junior goalkeeper Cassie Lythjohan (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) was equal to the task on the six shots that arrived on frame.
At the other end, senior Taylor Goss (Sandy Spring, Md./Friends School), senior Allie Keefer (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) and freshman Cassandra Howell (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) led with two shots apiece. Junior Kailey Striebel (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) was one of three players to finish the game with one shot, but she made the most of it. After collecting a loose ball just across midfield, Striebel broke in on the IWU goal and beat the goalkeeper in the top left corner to end the game in the 97th minute.
The Tigers will put their modest three-game winning streak on the line Wednesday, Sept. 14, when they host Ohio Northern in a key Great Lakes Regional match-up. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.