SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — For the first time ever, the Wittenberg Tigers won 11 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) games in a season, putting the wraps on their conference-best 10th regular season title with a 2-0 win over Kenyon on Senior Day.
The win, Wittenberg's 12th in the last 13 games since a 2-2 start under first-year Head Coach Kelley Hubbell, moved the Tigers to 14-3 overall and 11-1 in the NCAC. It clinched Wittenberg's fifth outright regular season title as the Tigers finished one game ahead of four-time defending NCAC champion Wooster. The Tigers and Scots shared the 2009 title, Wooster won outright crowns in 2006 and 2008, and in 2007 Wittenberg, Kenyon and Wooster finished in the only three-way tie in league history.
After a lackluster first half, the Tigers broke things open early in the final 35 minutes. Senior Boo Vernon (Lake Bluff, Ill./Cushing Academy) found the back of the cage twice in the span of exactly one minute. Her first score was assisted by sophomore Kellen Morrissey (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill), while the second was recorded as unassisted. In each instance, Vernon did what she has so well in her collegiate career, winning loose balls in front of the opponents' cage and then striking the ball with authority.
The goals moved Vernon to 23 on the 2010 season - three short of the school record - and 77 in her illustrious career, tied for the top spot in program history with Amy Kraus. Her career goal total matched Kraus' NCAC record as well, although Wooster's Amanda Artman will finish her career with that record. Vernon already holds the school records for career assists and total points.
While Vernon's work at the offensive end grabs the headlines, it was the play of the defense that is the story here. While the Tigers allowed a deceiving 14 shots and 13 penalty corners, Kenyon rarely had open looks at the Wittenberg goal. Junior goalkeeper Jenny Schaafsma (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) made eight saves to earn the Tigers' seventh shutout of the 2010 season.
Wittenberg will be the No. 1 seed in the next week's NCAC Tournament, which opens with a pair of semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 3. With a win, the Tigers would host the NCAC Tournament championship game on Saturday, Nov. 6.