Tigers' Perfect Season Comes To an End

Katie Babcock

Blair Ufer

The Wittenberg field hockey team saw its perfect regular season come to an end over the weekend in a 1-0 defeat at Denison on Saturday, but the Tigers responded like the champions they hope to become in 2002, capturing a 4-0 victory at Kenyon on Tuesday. That win kept Wittenberg one game ahead of both Denison and defending champion Wooster in the NCAC race.

In the loss to Denison, Wittenberg outshot its hosts 14-11, but the Tigers couldn't find a way past the Big Red defense, which had yielded four goals in an early-season defeat in Springfield. The lone goal of the game came midway through the second half despite seven saves by sophomore goalkeeper Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown).

Against Kenyon on Tuesday, however, Wittenberg's offense was back on track. Meyer, who leads the NCAC in saves percentage and ranks among the national leaders in several goaltending categories, recorded her ninth shutout of the season by turning away four shots.

Offensively, junior forward Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) scored a pair of goals as the Tigers pounded home four second-half goals. In addition, sophomore midfielder Blair Ufer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and senior forward Emily Duh (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) each added goals. Assists were recorded by Duh, the leading scorer in the NCAC, and freshman Emma Rufleth (Clinton, Conn./The Morgan School).

The Tigers now head into the home stretch of the schedule, which also just happens to be the most difficult. After a home game on Friday against NCAC title contender Oberlin, Wittenberg takes to the road and plays at Juniata on Sunday and at eighth-ranked Lebanon Valley College on Tuesday. The Tigers are rated No. 13 in the latest national poll.