Top-Ranked Ohio Wesleyan Shuts Down Tigers
The Wittenberg Tigers lost their fourth straight game after a promising start to the 2009 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) campaign, falling to first-place and top-ranked Ohio Wesleyan, 3-0.
DELAWARE, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers lost their fourth straight game after a promising start to the 2009 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) campaign, falling to first-place and top-ranked Ohio Wesleyan, 3-0.
The loss officially eliminated the Tigers from postseason consideration, a year after Wittenberg tied Ohio Wesleyan 2-2 in the NCAC Tournament championship game. The Battling Bishops earned the NCAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament with a shootout victory, while Wittenberg rounded out the best season in school history with an at-large bid to the national competition.
After losing perhaps the finest senior class in school history, however, the youthful Tigers have struggled to records of 3-12-2 overall and 2-5-1 in the NCAC, compared to Ohio Wesleyan's 16-0-2 overall record and perfect 8-0 mark in the conference.
The final statistics showed a 31-5 advantage in shots for Ohio Wesleyan, in addition to an 11-2 edge in corner kick opportunities. Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Lambeck (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) came up with five saves.
Sophomore Steven Fitzpatrick (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) and freshman Alejandro Garcia (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis) each directed a shot on goal offensively.
Wittenberg puts the finishing touches on the 2009 season at Hiram on Saturday, Oct. 31.