For Immediate Release Oct. 25, 2008

Contact: Ryan Maurer E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu

Jill Underwood

Erica Bensman

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Soccer is not a game where you can glance at the ticker for an update, or pop your head into the TV room to see the score. One has to watch and immerse themselves in the action. The sooner the American sports fan commits to the 90 minutes and focuses on the pitch the sooner our nation will feel the passion, intensity and beauty of the world's game. And much to our dismay, we might realize it is nice to watch a game without commercials and that only takes 90 minutes out of your day.

So if you were one of the 100 people that watched the Wittenberg Reserves play to a scoreless tie against the Ohio State Women's Soccer Club on Wednesday night the above paragraph may hit home. If you were not there, seeing the 0-0 box score may lead you to believe nothing of note happened. Again, soccer is not that type of game, and a box score or ticker tells you little about excitement you missed.

The game was back an forth and full of action. The teams produced tones of shots, tantalizingly close misses, and finger tip saves. Throughout the 90 minutes there was great defending, creative attacking and hard challenges. Each team had momentum surges that changed with every possession. The spectators saw shots that smashed off crossbars, nick off posts, and sailed just wide of their mark. In the run of play their was end to end action that would start with an impressive build up of passes, then transition with a great save, and quickly into a counter attack at the other end. Both team were up for the task and each individual played beyond her limits.

0-0 was the fair result as both team gave everything they had. Although, both Erica Bensman and Jill Underwood had a lot to do to keep a clean sheet for Wittenberg, it was the OSU goalkeeper that made the biggest save of the night. In the dying embers of the match Wittenberg made one last rush and put together a nice combination that sent Wittenberg Captain Kristy Parker in on a break away. However the OSU goalkeeper spoiled the victory party as she smoothed the ball on a great save to preserve the tie.

The reserves will have two weeks of training before they pick up action again against this very same OSU team. The game will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at OSU, followed by the away leg of a rematch with Cincinnati State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20.

2008 Women's Soccer Schedule/Results