SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The game program for Wittenberg's Homecoming weekend field hockey game featured a photograph of senior forward/midfielder Alison Voigt (Louisville, Ky./Ballard). She lived up to the publicity, scoring the game-winning goal in the first overtime to end a tight game against Wooster in a 2-1 Tiger victory.
The win was absolutely crucial to the Tigers' hopes of reaching the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament. Wittenberg, which has never missed the seven-year-old tournament, improved to 8-6 overall and 6-4 in the conference.
A close, fast-paced game ended 5:23 into the first overtime, which at the college level is a sudden-victory style period. Voigt approached from the right and fired the shot after receiving a well-placed pass from freshman Tori Casanta (Mason, Ohio/Cor Jesu Academy), who was credited with the assist. The thrilling victory came after a second half which contained a flurry of action but not goals.
Casanta scored the game's first goal just 36 seconds into the first period, with an assist from freshman Florine Dunki Jacobs (Heemstede, The Netherlands/Stedelyk Gymnasium Haarlem). Together, the goal and the assist brought Casanta three points in the game, making her season total 21, good for second on the team.
Junior defender Beth Vonderbrink (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) earned a defensive save during the game, along with Meredith Price (Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Country Day), who continue to be tied with each other for the team lead in the category at four apiece. Sadie Mummert (Hanover, Pa./Littlestown)picked up her first two defensive saves of the season in the game.
The win preserves conference hopes for the Tigers, which are spread thin throughout the conference. At 6-4, the Tigers stand toe-to-toe with Oberlin, a half-game ahead of Ohio Wesleyan, and behind Kenyon and Wooster which hold first and second place respectively. With one week left in the regular season, the Tigers are gunning for the third or fourth seed in the conference tournament, which begins Nov. 1.
Written by: John Strawn