Wittenberg Downs Roger Williams In Season Opener

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - In 2004, the Wittenberg Tigers opened the season with a lop-sided loss during their Spring Break trip to Florida. What a difference a year makes.

Showing the kind of progress that Head Coach Katherine Haney expected in her second year, the Tigers captured a 16-8 victory over Roger Williams College in a game played in West Palm Beach, Fla. The game was an excellent tune-up for Wittenberg, which now faces East Coast women's lacrosse powerhouses Cortland State on Tuesday and Gordon on Friday before returning home for the bulk of the 2005 regular season.

Wittenberg jumped on Roger Williams from the outset, capturing a commanding 8-1 halftime lead and then cruising home with eight more second-half goals. Sophomore Melissa Jackson was the offensive star as she scored six goals, two in the first half and four in the second, and added two assists for eight total points. The school record for goals in a game is nine.

Senior Jenny Burns added two first-half goals and three assists, strong opening numbers for the 2003 third-team All-American after a trying 2004 season. She was joined in the scoring column by sophomore Kari Thomas with four goals, sophomore Michelle Hanners with one goal and one assist, freshman Amber Cupples with two goals and three assists and freshman Alison Voigt with an assist.

In goal, the Tigers got a solid performance from sophomore Clare Bucheit, who turned away 13 shots. Wittenberg outshot its foes 30-21 for the game.