News Release
Wittenberg Captures Second Straight NCAC Tournament Title
It was a night to remember for the Wittenberg Tigers, who broke through in overtime to score a bizarre game-winning goal and win the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament championship. The win guarantees a second straight automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.
One minute and 39 seconds into the first overtime, the Tigers attacked the Big Red goal and were turned away after Denison goalkeeper Liz Gillette came out of the box to play the ball. Wittenberg midfielder Suzanne Medwid tracked the ball and met it just past midfield in Denison territory and searched for a target. She then launched the ball toward the goal, and in mid-flight it was deflected by Gillette, who was met at that point by a Denison defender and Wittenberg's Lisa Rusch. The ball glanced past her and rolled weakly into the open goal.
The first half was played to the pace of the Tigers, who kept it scoreless. Then, like the Tigers prefer, they found the net early in the second to acquire the lead. Rusch pushed forward with the ball and just when Denison thought she would shoot, she crossed it to Amanda Farrell who found the net on a great shot from the box.
Denison responded quickly as Sarah Ash found a hole in the Tiger defense and struck gold, threading a shot just over the hands of a leaping Meghan O'Rourke, Wittenberg's record-breaking senior goalkeeper who had four saves in the game, to score the game-tying goal.
The two teams battled to a draw the rest of the way in regulation, before Medwid scored the final goal to send the team to the postseason.
Gillette saved seven Wittenberg shots in the game as the Tigers outshot the visitors 14-7.
Submitted 2007-11-04 10:20:54 by Wittenberg University Sports Information Department
