SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Wittenberg field hockey team welcomed Kenyon College Thursday night but the Ladies were not the most gracious guests, stealing a 4-2 decision from the Tigers at Edwards-Maurer Field.
Senior midfielder Kellen Morrissey (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill) got the Tigers' on the board in the second half with an unassisted score in the 41st minute, and freshman Paige Vanerstrom (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) took advantage of a Kenyon mistake to score the team's second goal in the 65th minute, connecting on a penalty shot for her first collegiate goal.
Freshman Tiffany McKenna (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) led the Tigers with three shots, followed by Morrissey and sophomore Audrey Phibbs (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) with two shots each.
Wittenberg junior goalkeeper Jessica Jensen (Hartland, Wisc./Arrowhead) made six saves and allowed three goals before being relieved by junior Alie Marousek (Pittsburgh, Pa./Portsmouth (NH)), who allowed one goal and made four saves.
Kenyon's Sammy Johnston got the scoring started with a 31st-minute unassisted tally, and the Ladies got out to a 2-0 lead early in the second half when Rachel Hall fed Leah Jacques.
The Tigers' broke onto the scoreboard less than four minutes later on Morrissey's strike, but Kenyon answered back with goals from Julie Freedman and Christine Bloom over the next 20 minutes.
In the 65th minute, McKenna found an open Vanerstrom streaking towards the goal, but she was tripped up by the stick of a Kenyon player. That elicited a whistle and a penalty shot.
The Kenyon goalkeeper guessed one way and Vanerstrom went the other, finding the cage with a low shot to the right corner and providing the Tigers' with their second goal.
In the remaining six minutes, Morrissey managed one shot but it was turned away.
The Tigers leave NCAC competition for a home game with Presidents' Athletic Conference opponent Washington & Jefferson on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m.