Wittenberg's Perfect Season Ends At Westminster

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Consider it a wake-up call. After cruising through the first few weeks of the 2005 season with a perfect 8-0 record, the Wittenberg Tigers couldn't hang onto an early lead Saturday, falling 2-1 in overtime to Westminster.

The game, Wittenberg's second in less than 24 hours, set up initially as a typical Tiger win. After giving up a goal in the opening half of a 2-1 season-opening victory at Illinois Wesleyan on Sept. 2, the Tigers had won seven straight games by shutout. On Saturday, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the second half on a penalty kick by sophomore forward Amanda Farrell.

But that was all the offense Wittenberg could muster, and Westminster, which improved to 6-2 on the season, responded with a goal in the 66th minute to tie the game. Then Westminster, which outshot the Tigers 18-13 for the game, garnered the game-winner 9:10 into overtime to end Wittenberg's dreams of a perfect season.

Sophomore goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke finished with seven saves in the game. Westminster's netminder was credited with eight saves.