GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Wittenberg women's soccer team stayed on track for one of the top seeds in the season-ending four-team North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament with a hard-fought 0-0 tie at Denison.
It wasn't a victory, but it wasn't a loss either, and the Tigers will gladly take the point on the road, especially against a team that has traditionally not just been among the best in the conference but in the Great Lakes Region. In 2012, however, Denison stands at 2-2-1 in the NCAC with three regular season games remaining, while Wittenberg is now 4-0-1 and in second place, two points behind Wooster, which is 5-0-0.
Overall, the Tigers are now 8-3-3, while Denison stands at 3-9-2.
Entering the match tied for first, the Tigers were aware of the stakes, head coach Kwame Lloyd said.
"In the first 20 minutes, the magnitude of the game got the best of us," Lloyd said. "But once we settled in, we started creating opportunities."
Despite their disparate overall records, the Tigers and Big Red battled to a standoff in almost every statistical way. Through 110 minutes, neither team dented the scoreboard as they split 28 shots nearly evenly (15 for Wittenberg and 13 for Denison). Wittenberg had the edge in corner kicks at 6-2, while Denison finished with one more foul (9-8).
Wittenberg senior Cassie Lythjohan (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) put together yet another strong performance in the goal, turning away three Denison attempts on frame. The shutout was Lythjohan's seventh of the season and Wittenberg's ninth, including three in a row and fifth in the last six games. Denison's goalkeeper was forced into four saves on the night.
Senior Leslie Oliver (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) was among the first wave of reinforcements, entering in the 25th minute and helping steady the Tigers, readying for an improved second period.
"Leslie came off the bench and provided a calming influence at midfield," Lloyd said. "In the second half, we created better chances but could not find the back of the net."
The Tigers will play their final regular season road game at league-leading Wooster at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, before returning home for games against DePauw and Kenyon next week.