Springfield, OH - Playing their second match in as many days, Wittenberg Field Hockey was able to stave off a challenge from a pesky Kenyon squad to earn a thrilling 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Edwards-Maurer Field. The win keeps the Tigers' undefeated season alive as Wittenberg improved to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play.

The victory is Wittenberg's second straight over the Owls. The Tigers defeated Kenyon by the same narrow one-goal margin during the 2023 season. Kenyon fell to 8-6 overall and 4-4 in the NCAC. The Tigers remained in a tie atop the league standings with Ohio Wesleyan, one game ahead of DePauw and Denison.

Wittenberg wasted little time getting on the board, as Maddy Krasnow (Bexley, OH/Bexley) successfully found the back of the cage just six minutes into the match to give Witt the early 1-0 advantage. From there, the two squads battled through the remainder of the first and second quarters, and despite offensive opportunities for both teams, including two Kenyon penalty corners, Wittenberg maintain its 1-0 lead.

The Tigers came out of the break applying offensive pressure, and at the 33-minute mark Emily Owens (Stow, OH/Stow-Munroe Falls) scored off an assist from Katie Webber (Columbus, OH/Upper Arlington), to push Wittenberg's lead to 2-0. The Owls however would not go away quietly, and after consecutive penalty corners, Kenyon put one in the back of the cage to narrow Witt's advantage to one goal.

During the fourth period, Wittenberg's defense withstood Kenyon's offensive barrage as senior goal keepter Izzy Thompson (New Albany, OH/New Albany) and the Witt defense successfully defended five Owls shots to help the Tigers earn the victory.

Thompson recorded six saves on the afternoon, earning her second win in goal of the season. In the evenly contested match, both Wittenberg and Kenyon recorded 11 shots, while the Owls had five penalty corners to the Tigers' three.

Continuing its challenging conference schedule, Wittenberg hosts another top contender, Denison at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 22, at Edwards-Maurer Field at Wittenberg Stadium.