Tori Casanta
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers have established an identity through three games in the 2009 season. Equipped with plenty of quality offensive weapons, the Tigers have simply outscored two of their first three foes, including Lindenwood by a count of 7-4.
After the staggering 11-goal shootout, Wittenberg moved above .500 for the first time in 2009 at 2-1 overall. Coupled with Saturday's 4-3 overtime victory over North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) rival Kenyon, the Tigers outscored their foes 11-7 in a busy 27-hour period.
The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first half and still held a commanding 4-1 edge at halftime. Juniors Tori Casanta (Mason, Ohio/Cor Jesu Academy) and Boo Vernon (Lake Bluff, Ill./Cushing Academy) scored two goals apiece.
After Casanta added a second-half score, in part thanks to an assist from Vernon, Lindenwood made it a game with goals just six seconds apart. Tiger sophomore Elizabeth Dwyer (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) provided some breathing room, however, and junior Kelley Herde (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) put it out of reach with a score in the 60th minute.
Wittenberg held a narrow 18-16 advantage in shots and a 12-9 edge in penalty corners. Oddly in a shootout, the difference in the game may well have been the play of junior goalkeeper Liana Began (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson), who went the distance to record eight saves, compared to five for the Lindenwood netminder.