WOOSTER, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers got off to a slow start and never found a way to rally in a 7-2 loss to unbeaten Wooster.
The loss dropped Wittenberg to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in the early going of the 2009 season. Wooster, the defending conference champion, is now 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the conference.
The Scots took it to Wittenberg from the start, scoring a goal just 21 seconds into the game. Less than four minutes in, the score was 3-0 Wooster, and it was 5-0 before Wittenberg junior forward Boo Vernon (Lake Bluff, Ill./Cushing Academy) finally hit paydirt with 1:04 remaining before halftime.
Junior midfielder Hannah Scheckelhoff (Blacklick, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) added a goal 7:26 into the second half, but Wooster added a pair of goals to round things out.
A pair of Wittenberg goalkeepers were credited with 10 saves in the game, including seven for sophomore Alyssa Ashbaugh (Gahanna, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls). Remarkably, the Tigers were credited with four defensive saves in the game, one by sophomore Taylor Dawley (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) and three by junior Kelley Herde (Louisville, Ky./Assumption).
The Tigers jump right back into NCAC action against Earlham at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, at Wittenberg's Edwards-Maurer Field.