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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Now that the Wittenberg Tigers are in the NCAA Division III Tournament, it appears that the gloves - or whatever was muffling the offense - have come off. After suffering eight shutouts (five of which came in scoreless home ties) during the regular season, Wittenberg posted its second-highest scoring total of the 2009 season in posting a 3-1 first-round win over Ohio Northern.
The win exorcised more than a few demons for a Wittenberg team that also was shut out 4-0 by the University of Chicago in the first round on the same field at Calvin College a year ago. The Tigers are now 3-2-2 all-time in NCAA Division III Tournament play, which encompasses the last four seasons. In 2009, Wittenberg is now 12-4-5 overall after finishing second in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season title chase with a mark of 4-2-2.
Ohio Northern, which tied Wittenberg 0-0 on Sept. 16 in Springfield, saw its season end with a 15-5-2 overall record. The Polar Bears, ranked No. 19 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, had finished second in Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and tournament to Otterbein.
Wittenberg took advantage of unseasonably pleasant weather - in contrast with last year's wet, cold, muddy affair with Chicago - and used its speed to jump out to a 3-0 lead by midway through the second half. Sophomore Sheryl Chambers (Victorville, Calif./St. Joan of Arc) got Wittenberg on the board with her eighth goal of the season, coming off an assist from freshman Kailey Striebel (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) in the 24th minute. That was followed by a pair of tallies early in the second half that put the game out of reach, starting with a free kick by junior Erin McLeish (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) in the 52nd minute and Striebel's fifth goal of the season off a corner kick from junior Maureen Buckley (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) in the 66th.
ONU got a goal back in the 72nd minute, but the Polar Bears could get no closer. For the game, Wittenberg held a narrow 18-14 advantage in total shots, although the Tigers' pressure on ONU's defensive end was more evident in the 8-1 Tiger advantage in corner kicks. Freshman goalkeeper Melissa Gartner (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) recorded five saves in the game.
Wittenberg advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third time in the last four years. The Tigers will take on host Calvin, a 4-0 winner over Washington & Jefferson, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, on the Crusaders' home field.