Tigers Kick Off NCAC Campaign In Style Against Oberlin

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers nearly doubled their scoring output for the entire season in a 6-0 whitewashing of visiting Oberlin in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opener for both teams.

The win moved Wittenberg, the defending NCAC regular season champion, above .500 overall at 5-4-2. More importantly, the Tigers built some much-needed momentum for the stretch run of the season, which includes conference rivals in seven of the last eight contests.

Wittenberg wasted no time against the Yeowomen, who dropped to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in the league. Senior Kayla Murphy (Dayton, Ohio/Stebbins) scored a goal just 3:43 into the game to stake the Tigers to an early lead, and sophomore Kate Burns (Granger, Ind./Penn) doubled the advantage in the 37th minute off a feed from senior Katie Murphey (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview).

That set the stage for an offensive onslaught in the second half for the Tigers, who had scored eight goals in their first 10 games. Four of Wittenberg's 11 shots found the back of Oberlin's net over the final 45 minutes.

Freshman Jenna Applegett (Westerville, Ohio/South) scored her first collegiate goal just 1:15 into the second half. That was followed by Murphy's second goal of the game in the 65th minute, a tally from junior Tobie Weston (Worthington, Ohio/Worthington Christian) at the 66:42 mark, and Burns' second goal of the game in the 74th minute. No assists were credited in the second half.

In goal, sophomore Maggie Grieser (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) was pressed into service on just a handful of occasions. She was credited with one save as Oberlin finished the game with just two shots. It was Wittenberg's fifth shutout of the 2013 campaign.