Michelle Hanners

The Wittenberg field hockey team started the season as a young group with a lot of potential. They may conclude it by living up to that potential, perhaps a bit ahead of schedule.

The Tigers head into the last four games of the regular season riding an impressive four-game win streak, including wins over the three top teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference after the first half of the double round-robin schedule. Even more impressive, all four wins have come by shutout.

The win streak started Oct. 1 at Ohio Wesleyan, a 3-0 win that moved the Tigers back to the .500 mark in the NCAC for the first time this season. Then the Tigers upended visiting Oberlin 2-0 on Oct. 4 as senior Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) and junior Carrie Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian) scored goals to back the shutout goalkeeping effort by junior goalkeeper Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown).

Last week, the Tigers extended the streak to four with wins over preseason conference favorites Denison, 1-0 on Wednesday, and Wooster, 3-0 on Saturday. Meyer posted the shutout and junior Blair Ufer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) had the goal against Denison, while freshman Michelle Hanners (Columbus, Ohio/School for Girls) filled in admirably to shut down the Scots in support of goals by junior Sarah Wallace (Reston, Va./South Lakes) and freshman Katy Barrett (Powell, Ohio/Watterson), who had two tallies on the day.

While the Tiger offense has come alive, the win streak has been made possible by the work in net done by Meyer and Hanners. Meyer has posted three straight shutouts, dating back to a 1-0 loss at Wooster on Sept. 20. She missed games against Kenyon, DePauw and Wooster. The goals Meyer allowed against Wooster and Earlham were scored on penalty strokes, meaning that tThe last goal Meyer gave up in continuous game action was in the second half of a 2-0 loss at Oberlin on Sept. 13.

Along with being named NCAC Player of the Week on Oct. 5, Meyer was furthered honored this week by the Web site, www.womensfieldhockey.com, with Honorable Mention National Player of the Week recognition in NCAA Division III.

After a week off, the Tigers are back in action Saturday at Kenyon, a team that challenged Wittenberg in a 6-5 defeat on Sept. 24. After a home game against NCAA Division II Mercyhurst on Sunday, the Tigers host Ohio Wesleyan on Senior Night, Oct. 25, and then put the wraps on the regular season at Earlham on Oct. 28. The Tigers are currently one game behind Wooster in the loss column of the NCAC standings and are tied with Denison and Oberlin with three defeats. The top four teams in the regular season standings reach the NCAC tournament, which is slated to open with semifinal games on Nov. 1.

Wittenberg is the defending NCAC regular season and tournament champion.

Next: 10/18 at Kenyon, 1 p.m.

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Steve Doring

The Wittenberg men's soccer team is riding a three-game win streak at just the right time. With several key conference games coming up in the next two weeks, Head Coach Steve Dawson and his team will find out if the momentum garnered from beating three teams in the lower portion of the NCAC standings can carry over against teams ranked among the best in the nation.

The recent win streak started Oct. 4 at home against Kenyon, a game the Tigers won 5-3. Since then, Wittenberg defeated Earlham 2-0 at home on Oct. 8 and then hit the road to defeat Hiram on Oct. 11 by a 5-1 score.

In the win over Hiram, senior Steve Doring (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne) opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Sophomores Matt Berry (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) and Isaac Boye-Arthur (Tema, Ghana/St. Peter's) also scored goals, and freshman Sebastian Missura (Quito, Ecuador/American School) found the back of the net twice. Assists were provided by sophomore Andy Stewart (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne), Berry, freshman Eduardo Missura (Quito, Ecuador/American School), freshman Jason Sucher (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual) and freshman Nick Hauff (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes), who finished with a pair.

It is now make-it or break-it time for the young Tigers, who have won six of their last eight games after a 1-5 start. Next up is a home game against nationally ranked Allegheny on Oct. 18. Next week, the Tigers travel to Wabash on Wednesday and play a home game against Denison on Oct. 25 before wrapping up the regular season on the road against Oberlin. The Tigers are currently in a logjam near the top of the NCAC standings, and only the top four teams will advance to the conference tournament, which is slated to be contested Nov. 7-8.

Next: 10/18 vs. Allegheny, 1:30 p.m.

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Jenny Miller

The Wittenberg women's soccer team went 1-1 in conference action during the last week, defeating Hiram 3-0 on Saturday before losing to defending national champion Ohio Wesleyan 4-0 on Tuesday. As a result, the Tigers remain very much alive in the hunt for one of four berths in the annual NCAC Tournament, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 7-8.

Against Hiram, Wittenberg dominated from the outset as senior goalkeeper Jenny Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) recorded her fifth shutout in goal. She has now played all but 45 minutes this season and has saved 81 percent of opponents' shots. With the shutout of Hiram, Miller moved into second on Wittenberg's career list with 10 shutouts. NCAC 20th Anniversary All-Decade Team member Sarah Newlin leads with 30.5.

Scoring goals against Hiram were sophomore Lindsay Zigler (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), freshman Lucia Cornett (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) and freshman Elena Geiger-Simpson (St. Paul, Minn./Concordia Academy). Geiger-Simpson added an assist.

Against Ohio Wesleyan, the Tigers got over some early jitters to play well against the two-time defending national champions. The Bishops scored three times in the first 20 minutes and got their fourth tally inside the final minute of the game.

This weekend, the Tigers face the first of several crucial games. Regionally-ranked Allegheny visits Bill Edwards Field on Saturday, followed by a road game at Kenyon on Tuesday and a home game against Wooster next Saturday during Homecoming Weekend.

Next: 10/18 vs. Allegheny, 11 a.m.

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Kristin Fox

Last weekend, the Wittenberg volleyball team hosted a tournament that included one of the strongest fields in the nation in 2003, and the Tigers proved once again they belong among the elite of NCAA Division III. The Tigers finished second in the Wittenberg National Invitational II, losing only to second-ranked Washington University 3-1 in the championship match on Saturday.

Joining the sixth-ranked Tigers in the field were four other nationally ranked squads - Mount St. Joseph, Elmhurst, Washington University and St. Thomas - and three other perennial national powers with winning records currently - Baldwin-Wallace, Muskingum and Wartburg. In pool play, Wittenberg upended Baldwin-Wallace 3-1, Mt. St. Joseph 3-1 and Elmhurst 3-0 to advance to the championship match.

Junior setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) was up to her usual tricks over the weekend, distributing 207 assists, 41 digs, 13 blocks, including five solos, and 15 kills in the 16 games. Yuskewich ranks first in the NCAC and among the top 10 in the nation in assists per game with 12.80.

Yuskewich's favorite target for assists was junior Kristin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), who pounded 63 kills and finished with an outstanding hitting percentage of .281. She was named NCAC Player of the Week for her outstanding performance. Fox ranks second in the NCAC in kills per game with 3.6.

Defensively, junior Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) was again outstanding with 137 digs. She leads the NCAC and ranks among the top five in the nation with 581 digs on the season, good for a 7.35 per game average. Senior Michelle Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame), who had two double-doubles over the weekend in kills and digs, added 85 digs, a team-best 12 service aces, and 45 kills on the weekend, and senior Jennifer Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) added 62 digs and nine service aces.

Rounding things out, senior Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) was second on the team for the weekend with 46 kills. She added 10 block assists.

This weekend the Tigers close out NCAC action on Oct. 18 in a tri-match that involves the top three teams in the conference, Hiram, Denison and Wittenberg. The Tigers, the six-time defending NCAC regular season and tournament champions, are currently tied atop the conference with a 6-0 record. The following weekend features a trip to Texas for a tournament hosted by nationally ranked Trinity.

Next: NCAC Tri-Match at Denison
vs. Hiram, 1 p.m.
vs. Denison, 3 p.m.

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Jered Glover

It was nothing short of a stunner. Wabash defeated the Tigers 41-14 to hand Wittenberg its first NCAC road loss since 1997.

Wabash, the defending NCAC champion and winner of two 2002 games against Wittenberg, outgained the Tigers 476-301 for the game and held the ball for 36 minutes, compared to 23 for the Tigers. In the first quarter, the Little Giants set the tone immediately, taking the opening kickoff and methodically driving downfield to the first of three first-half scores. Wabash outgained the Tigers, 299-40, had possession of the ball for nine more minutes and gained 18 first downs to Wittenberg's three in the first half.

The Tigers finally got on the scoreboard with 3:37 left in the third quarter as junior tailback Raymar Hampshire (Lima, Ohio/Elida) wrapped up a 68-yard, 12-play drive with a two-yard touchdown run. The Tigers concluded their scoring with a 34-yard touchdown hook-up between junior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) and senior wide receiver Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison).

Individually, Holmes finished with 249 yards on 19 completions in 39 attempts. He had one touchdown and his first three interceptions of the season. Hampshire finished with 49 yards rushing on 16 attempts and sophomore wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) led the receivers with 104 yards on eight receptions. In three career games against Wabash, Glover has a whopping 28 receptions.

Defensively, senior linebacker Gary George (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) led the way with 11 total tackles, including two for a loss of 11 yards. Freshman safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) added 10 tackles and sophomore safety Yusef Abdul-Zahir (Canton, Ohio/McKinley) wound up with eight tackles, including one for loss, and a fourth-quarter interception.

Next: 10/18 vs. Hiram, 1 p.m.

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Becky Barnes

The Wittenberg cross country teams put together a solid showing in the All-Ohio Championships at Ohio Wesleyan on Friday. The meet annually features one of the strongest fields the Tigers compete against, and the 2003 competition was no different.

On the women's side, Wittenberg finished 12th among the 19 NCAA Division III teams in the field. Senior Becky Barnes (Williamsport, Ohio/Westfall) was the Tigers' leading runner once again as she registered a 32nd-place finish with a time of 20:33. Sophomore Tracy Butler (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) added a 56th-place finish in a time of 21:09. Sophomore Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) finished 84th, freshman Sarah Yehle (Edgerton, Ohio/Edgerton) wound up 90th and sophomore Sarah Gearhart (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) rounded out the scorers for the Tigers with a 107th-place finish.

For the Tiger men, who finished 18th, senior Tim Damopoulos (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City) led the way by finishing 89th in a time of 30:16. He was followed by sophomore Chris Petrik (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield), who took 99th, sophomore John Compton (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), who placed 103rd, and senior Jeff Domingus (London, Ohio/London), who finished 106th.

Next up for the Tigers is a road trip to Ada, Ohio for the annual Polar Bear Invitational. That will the team's final tune-up for the NCAC Championships, scheduled for Nov. 1 at Wooster.

Next: 10/18 at Ohio Northern

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Erin Mowrey

The Wittenberg women's golf team completed its first fall season on Sunday at the Otterbein Invitational. The Tigers finished ninth among the 12 teams in the competition. Senior Erin Mowery (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) led the Tigers, who finished just one stroke out of eighth place, with a 100. Sophomore Ann Delaney (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove) added a 102, followed by sophomore Callie Riley (Maitland, Fla./Winter Park) with a 112 and freshman Erica Bodnar (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) with a 118.

Wittenberg's newest intercollegiate team now has the winter to prepare for its next match. The spring schedule opens March 28 at the Wilmington Invitational.

Next: Fall Season Complete