|
GRANVILLE, Ohio - There were a lot of accumulating factors pointing to a tough night for the Wittenberg Tigers. An injury-riddled team was missing its top scorer, a line of severe thunderstorms delayed the game more than two hours and the opponent was a perennial national title contender having one of its best seasons ever. It all added up to a 2-0 loss at Denison.
The loss likely pins the Tigers' collective back to the wall as the 2006 season hits the home stretch. Wittenberg dropped to 8-3-2 overall and 1-1-1 in the rugged North Coast Athletic Conference, with games ahead against Hiram, Earlham, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan and Allegheny over the final three weeks of the season. Wins are at a premium at this time of year, especially for a team hoping to not only reach the four-team NCAC Tournament for a third consecutive year but also qualify for the first NCAA Division III Tournament in school history.
Denison, which improved to 11-1 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC, picked up a pair of first-half goals against the scrappy but undermanned Tigers. Junior goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) recorded four saves in the game - matching her counterpart from Denison - but the Tigers were unable to generate as many scoring opportunities. Denison held a 14-9 advantage in shots and a 5-1 edge in corner kick opportunities.
Sophomore Suzanne Medwid (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) tried to pick up the offensive slack as she was credited with five shots, including three on goal.