SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers ran into a buzzsaw in their home finale, falling behind visiting Adrian by nine goals late in the first half and eventually succombing by a score of 21-10.
The loss dropped Wittenberg to 8-4 overall, heading into a stretch run that includes road games at Oberlin on Friday, April 22, and Allegheny on Saturday, April 23. Two wins will guarantee the Tigers a berth in the annual North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament, scheduled for April 29-30 at the home site of the regular season champion.
Adrian, which improved to 14-4 on the campaign, opened the game with three quick goals to set the tone. After the Tigers responded with two goals of their own, the Bulldogs took control with four unanswered tallies. That started a 10-2 run covering approximately 17 minutes that turned a close game into a 13-4 Adrian advantage. However, Wittenberg rallied with three straight goals to end the first half with momentum.
The Bulldogs squashed the Tigers' hopes for a comeback midway through the second half with a five-goal run that expanded the lead to 21-9.
Adrian outshot Wittenberg 36-22 and won the ground balls battle 28-24. The Tigers won more draw controls 19-14 but also committed 10 more turnovers in the game.
Junior Jenny Schaafsma (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) went the distance in the goal, making 11 saves along the way. Offensively, senior Jordan Beauchamp (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) led the way for the Tigers with five goals on just five shots. Junior Lindsey Hanners (New Albany, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) and senior Maggie Amorello (Sutton, Mass./Worcester Academy) added two goals apiece, while junior Jenn Close (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) chipped in with two assists.