SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — With under 15 seconds to go in a game tied at 3-3, the Wittenberg field hockey team's conference championship hopes were dashed by a Wooster goal, sending the Scots on to a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament championship over the regular season champion Tigers.
With just 13 seconds remaining, and the game seemingly headed to overtime, the Fighting Scots battled into the Tigers' defensive third, where Stephanie Standera pushed in a shot behind sophomore goalkeeper Jenny Schaafsma (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids).
The goal ended up the winner in a game highlighted by speed and energy. Schaafsma repelled much of Wooster's offense, making eight saves throughout the match against four goals allowed.
The game began with 20 scoreless minutes before senior forward and all-time Tiger scoring leader Boo Vernon (Lake Bluff, Ill./Cushing Academy) put her team on the board in the 22nd minute. Standera responded with a goal to tie things up, but the Tigers took a 2-1 lead into the break thanks to a strike from junior forward Elizabeth Dwyer (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) with just over six minutes remaining in the half on an assist from senior defender Meredith Price (Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Country Day).
The Scots scored the first two goals of the second half to go up 3-2, but less than a minute and a half after the second, Wittenberg evened the score at three-all on a goal by senior forward Tori Casanta (Mason, Ohio/Cor Jesu Academy), with assistance from junior Taylor Dawley (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley).
Then, in the last minute, the Scots broke the stalemate with the game-winning goal, and the 13 remaining seconds were not enough for the Tigers to respond.
Wittenberg was represented on the all-tournament team by Boo Vernon, Meredith Price and Elizabeth Dwyer. The complete team is listed below.
The Tigers fell to 15-4 overall, while Wooster improved to 16-5 and claimed the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Tigers, meanwhile, will await word on their postseason fate when the tournament field is announced during the Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 8, at 9 a.m., available to view at NCAA.com.
2010 NCAC All-Tournament Team
Katherine Ireland, Denison
Brittany Benson, Denison
Claire Chapman, Kenyon
Sydney Carney-Knisely, Kenyon
Boo Vernon, Wittenberg
Meredith Price, Wittenberg
Elizabeth Dwyer, Wittenberg
Amanda Artman, Wooster
Stephanie Standera, Wooster
Nina Dine, Wooster
Josie Rey, Wooster
John Strawn '07