A year after returning to their customary position atop the North Coast Athletic Conference field hockey standings, the Wittenberg University Tigers are hoping for a bit more in 2001. This, in spite of the loss of All-American forward Kelly McMullen and six other letterwinners.
Second-year Head Coach Marianne Beshara believes an improvement upon last year's 15-4 overall record and 10-2 NCAC mark is possible because the team's defense returns almost intact, several solid offensive players are back and a strong 10-player recruiting class figures to make an impact. A winning tradition never hurts either - Wittenberg hasn't had a losing season 1981.
Leading the charge in 2001 will be a defensive corps of junior backs Rebecca Russ (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart), Jill Hobelman (St. Louis, Mo./Villa Duchesne), who played in 12 games in 2000 after transferring from Division I Rhode Island, and Heather House (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood). Russ and House were both All-NCAC and All-Great Lakes Region performers a year ago. They will be joined in the backfield by a talented trio of first-year students: Carrie Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian), Sarah Wallace (Reston, Va./South Lakes) andMelanie Boss (Dayton, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont). In addition, senior goaltenderGeorgina Klinzing (Gasport, NY/Royalton Hartland), also an All-Great Lakes Region selection last year, returns in 2001 as well. She will be backed up by freshman Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown).
Senior co-captain Jessica Martin (Powell, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) anchors a strong midfield group. She is joined in that area by junior Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), and another trio of highly touted freshmen:Blair Ufer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), Erin Weller (Stamford, Conn./Stamford)and Amy Burlingame (Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth).
Offensively, Beshara has the tall task of replacing two of her top three scorers from 2000, including McMullen, who ranks among Wittenberg's career leaders in several scoring categories. Joining returning all-region choices Emily Duh (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) and Barb Keselman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer)will be talented newcomers Deb Muller (Weston, Conn./The Millbrook School),Kate Houchins (Denver, Colo./Kent Denver) and Cieran Kisling (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills).