The Wittenberg field hockey team isn't just beating teams in 2004. The Tigers have outscored their nine opponents so far this season by a whopping 31-6 margin en route to an 8-1 overall record and a mark of 5-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
The latest victim was Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday, and the final result was a 5-0 whitewashing in the friendly confines of Edwards-Maurer Field. It was the second straight 5-0 home victory for the Tigers, coming just four days after Wittenberg defeated Kenyon by the same score.
The Tigers are far and away the top scoring team in the NCAC to date, leading in several team categories. Before the Ohio Wesleyan win, in which senior Blair Ufer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) scored two goals and distributed two assists, three Tiger players ranked among the top 10 in the conference in points scored. Along with Ufer, sophomore Katy Barrett (Powell, Ohio/Watterson) and junior Julia Wickham (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) rank among the conference's offensive leaders.
Defensively, the statistics go to freshman goalkeeper Nicole Irvin (Gettysburg, Pa./Littlestown), who leads the NCAC in goals against average and saves percentage after allowing just six goals in 11 games. But several individuals deserve credit, starting with seniors Carrie Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian) and Melanie Boss (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont). Both are three-year starters who lead a stellar defensive unit.
In terms of records, the team is on pace to break the Wittenberg mark of 13 goals allowed in a season (1985), but there is no room for error. Offensively, the team's scoring record is 65 goals in 1995, a mark this year's team is unlikely to reach despite the 10-goal outburst in the last two games.
Next up is a first-place showdown with Oberlin at home on Friday. Both teams have just one loss in NCAC action after tying for the regular season title a year ago (three-way tie with Wooster).
Round Up: Tigers Take Yet Another Win
Posted: Oct 08, 2004