Coach Fincham

After three straight weeks of tense games that went down to the wire, the Tigers got a breather last Saturday with a 72-14 thrashing of Denison. The win moved the four-time defending North Coast Athletic Conference champion Tigers to 3-0 in the NCAC standings and extended their record-setting conference win streak to 25. The game was over almost before it began. After the two teams traded long touchdown passes early in the first quarter, Wittenberg ripped off 42 straight points before halftime to begin the march to its 12th straight win over Denison in a series that dates back to 1901. Nine different players scored touchdowns in the game, including senior wide

Wittenberg now heads to the College of Wooster this weekend. The Scots are the last NCAC team to beat Wittenberg, on Nov. 4, 1997.

Next: 10/6 @ Denison, 1 p.m.

McDonald

Yuskewich

Habegger

The Wittenberg University Tigers have bigger goals than the NCAC regular season championship in 2001. With four straight NCAC titles under their belts, the Tigers can hardly be blamed for setting their sights higher. First things first, however, and the Tigers got a scare this weekend. In a tri-match on Saturday at Allegheny College, Wittenberg easily defeated the host Gators in the opening match before being extended to five sets by Denison in a rematch of last year's NCAC tournament finale.

Freshman outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) was outstanding in the two matches, pounding 59 kills, including 36 against Denison. McDonald ranks among the league leaders in kills per game with 4.56 on the season. Also, freshman setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) led the team in assists in both matches as she continues to split time with last year's NCAC Player of the Year, junior setter Shelli Habegger (Curtice, Ohio/Oregon Clay).

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday at home against NCAC rival Ohio Wesleyan. The match will be televised three times over the following week on tape delay by Time Warner Cable in the Dayton area. Veteran broadcaster Marty Bannister and former Wittenberg player Laura Mayer will call the match.

Then this weekend, the Tigers host their first Wittenberg National Invitational at the HPER Center. The field includes Thomas More, the 12th-ranked host Tigers, and nationally ranked Juniata, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mt. St. Joseph, all national quarterfinalists in 2000.

Next: 10/10 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 7 p.m.
 

Keselman

Houchins

Burlingame

House

After eight straight victories to open the 2001 season, the Tigers headed into the season's second meeting with the Wooster with a head of steam. But the Scots were up to the task, evening the score with the Tigers with a 2-1 win last Friday night. The loss dropped Wittenberg into a first-place tie with Wooster in the NCAC standings with five games remaining.

Earlier in the week, Wittenberg had defeated Earlham 3-1. The goals came from sophomore Barb Keselman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and freshmen Katie Houchins (Denver, Colo./Kent) and Amy Burlingame (Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth). In the Wooster loss, junior back Heather House (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) scored her first collegiate goal.

The Tigers now face a busy week of conference action against Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan and Denison before getting the opportunity of a season against Division I California-Berkeley at Ohio State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Next: 10/9 @ Oberlin, 4:30 p.m.
 

Armstrong

Cannon

Suddes

Offense has been a problem for the Tigers the last two years. For the second time in three weeks, Wittenberg exploded at that end of the field and hopefully solved the problems. About three weeks after scorching visiting Muskingum for a 7-1 victory, Wittenberg blitzed visiting conference foe Oberlin 11-0 on Saturday at Bill Edwards Field. For the third time this year, a Wittenberg player turned a hat trick as junior Brian Armstrong (Delaware, Ohio/Dublin

Now comes a crucial week for the Tigers as they strive to find their way back into the NCAC race. Earlham comes calling on Wednesday and then the Tigers hit the road to take on perennial powerhouse and preseason conference favorite Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday.

Next: 10/10 vs. Earlham, 4 p.m.
 

Ridgeway

Wright

Gersbach

Undaunted by a brutal non-conference schedule in which the Tigers faced seven teams with winning records and three with national rankings, the women's soccer team continues to battle back in hopes of moving back into the NCAC tournament picture. The top four teams in the conference advance to the tourney. Wittenberg lost at home to Denison 1-0 last Wednesday in a very winnable match against the 16th-ranked team in the

Wittenberg bounced back on Saturday at Oberlin with a 5-3 win. Freshmen Rachel Ridgeway (Montclair, NJ/The Taft School) and Jessica Wright (Granville, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) both scored two goals in the game. Wright also added an assist on the second of Ridgeway's goals, which turned out to be the game-winner. Also scoring in the game was senior co-captain Emily Gersbach (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin).

The Tigers now embark on the most pivotal week of their season with home games opposite Wooster and Allegheny. Wittenberg must at worst gain a split to keep its postseason hopes alive.

Next: 10/9 vs. Wooster, 4 p.m.
 

Gerstle

Weide

Hyde

In probably the best performance of the still-young 2001 cross country season, the Wittenberg Tiger women's team finished nineth among 19 Division III schools competing in the annual All-Ohio Championships last Friday at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. As usual, Wittenberg got another outstanding performance from junior co-captain Abi Gerstle (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont). Gerstle, a All-NCAC cross country and track athlete a year ago who is attempting to become the

On the men's side, senior Dave Hyde (Naperville, Ill./Central) led the team for a third straight meet, this time crossing the finish line in 39th place among Division III runners. All five Wittenberg runners finished among the top 82 competitors in the meet, propelling the Tigers to a 12th place finish among 18 Division III teams.

Next: 10/13 @ Manchester (Ind.) Invitational
 

Clagett

Lakos

Herzog

The fall season has wound down and a number of strong finishes in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association fall regional championship tournaments highlighted action. Chief among them was a second-place finish by freshman Emily Figel (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead), who finished second in the tournament and just missed an opportunity to participate in the ITA nationals. Only the champion of the regional competition advances to the next level.

On the men's side, juniors Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) and Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) both defeat two seeded opponents en route to singles quarterfinal appearances. In doubles, the tandem of Clagett and senior Rob Postma (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) advanced to the quarterfinals, as did the duo of junior Mike Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) and sophomore Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage). In each case, the singles player or doubles team knocked off at least one seeded opponent in advancing that far.

Next: Fall Seasons Complete
 

Reist

The Tigers concluded the 2001 fall season on a high note, finishing in a third-place tie in the Urbana Invitational last weekend. Wittenberg had its best score of the fall season, led by junior Pat Reist (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton), who had a 155 en route to a top 10 finish.

Next: Fall Season Complete
 

October

9	Women's Soccer vs. Wooster	4 p.m.
	Field Hockey @ Oberlin	4:30 p.m.
10	Men's Soccer vs. Earlham	4 p.m.
	Volleyball vs. Ohio Wesleyan	7 p.m.
11	Field Hockey  vs. Ohio Wesleyan	7 p.m.
12	Volleyball Wittenberg National Invite	All Day
13	Volleyball Wittenberg National Invite	All Day
	Cross Country @ Manchester (Ind.)	11 a.m.
	Women's Soccer  vs. Allegheny	11 a.m.
	Football @ Wooster	1 p.m.
	Field Hockey @ Denison	1 p.m.
	Men's Soccer @ Ohio Wesleyan	7:30 p.m.