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2002 Women's Soccer News Releases

November 19, 2002

Emily Hiscar

Geri Woessner

Rachel Ridgeway

The Wittenberg women’s soccer team placed one athlete on the All-NCAC second team and two more among the honorable mention selections.

Freshman midfielder Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) was named second team. Junior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), who was the team’s leading scorer despite missing half the season with a knee injury, and sophomore midfielder Rachel Ridgeway (Montclair, N.J./The Taft School) were both named honorable mention.

The Tigers finished an injury-plagued 2002 season with a 6-12 overall record, including a solid 3-5 mark in the NCAC. Three of the top 20 teams in the country finished ahead of Wittenberg in the final conference standings.

Next: Season Complete

October 29, 2002

Jenny Miller

The Wittenberg women’s soccer team put the wraps on a tough, injury-plagued season last weekend with a 2-0 loss at nationally ranked Denison. Junior goalkeeper Jenny Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) had one of her best games of the season, turning away six Big Red shots in the loss.

Despite the loss, a young team gained a great deal of experience in 2002, competing in perhaps the finest NCAA Division III conference in the nation (Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan and Denison are all currently ranked in the top 15 in the nation and those three along with Allegheny are all among the top eight in the region). Injuries took their toll, however, as no less than four projected starters were forced to the sidelines by the final game of the season.

Next: Season Complete

October 22, 2002

Sarah Tkacz

Rachel Helsinger

Amy McCann

Women's Soccer (6-11, 3-4 NCAC)
Coach: Norm Riker (first season)

After winning two straight NCAC games to pull back into the race for the conference tournament, which includes the top four teams in the regular season race, the Tiger women’s soccer team saw its hopes likely dashed in a pair of defeats last week.

Both were shutouts. On Wednesday, the Tigers played well in a 2-0 defeat at nationally ranked Wooster. Then on Saturday, Wittenberg took a step backward against No. 1 ranked and still unbeaten Ohio Wesleyan, falling on Senior Recognition Day at Bill Edwards Field by a final of 9-0. Making their final appearance at home in the Red & White were seniors Sarah Tkacz (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), Rachel Helsinger (Monroe, Ohio/Lemon-Monroe) and Amy McCann (University Heights, Ohio/Gilmour Academy).

Next: 10/26 @ Denison, 7 p.m.

October 15, 2002

Alecia Dimar

Eileen Quinn

It was the best week yet for first-year Tiger women’s soccer head coach Norm Riker and his young team. After a season filled with near-misses, close calls and injuries to top players, the Tigers captured a pair of hard-fought victories last week over North Coast Athletic Conference rivals Earlham and Oberlin.

The wins improved Wittenberg to 6-9 overall and 3-2 in the NCAC heading into a brutal three-game home stretch against regionally ranked conference rivals Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan and Denison. A 2-0 win over Earlham on Wednesday and a 1-0 victory over Oberlin on Saturday came despite the continued abscence of standout forward and leading scorer Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), who is sidelined for the season with knee injury, and the team’s top offensive freshman, Lindsay Zigler (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington), who is out with a foot injury. Up stepped freshman Alecia Dimar (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual), a defender by trade who pushed into the offense on a couple of occasions last week to score her first two goals of the season. The tallies, both gamewinners, were key factors in Dimar’s being named NCAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week.

The first, which occurred just after the half-hour mark against Earlham, came on a shot from 25 yards out that went in by the far post. The second tally of the day came from Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial), who was set up by Dimar to score on a deflection off a corner kick.

The feel-good factor worked again on Saturday as they beat Oberlin in front of a busy homecoming crowd. Dimar got her second goal of the season and the week on a header off a corner kick, with fellow freshman Melissa Gallion (West Jefferson, Ohio/West Jefferson) attributed with the assist. Sophomore goalkeeper Eileen Quinn (Glenbrook, Ill./Glenview South) kept clean sheets in both games and has given up just two goals in eight games this season.

Next: 10/16 at Wooster, 4 p.m.

October 8, 2002

Rachel Ridgeway

Allison Spansky

A young, struggling Tiger women’s soccer team got a nice boost last week in a game against visiting Urbana. Wittenberg, playing without its two injured leading scorers, scored a 2-1 win over the Blue Knights on Wednesday at Bill Edwards Field.

After a scoreless first half, the final 45 minutes offered plenty of action, and the winning tally came with just minutes to spare. Sophomore midfielder Rachel Ridgeway (Montclair, NJ/The Taft School) put the Tigers ahead with 15 minutes remaining in the game, but Urbana tied things up just minutes later. To the rescue came junior Allison Spansky (Munroe Falls, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls), who put the winner away at the back post to give Tigers their 4th win of the season.

On Saturday, the parents who came to campus for their specially designated weekend were, unfortunately, not treated to the same kind of performance as Kenyon claimed a 2-0 NCAC victory. Two first-half goals for the visiting Ladies, which were countered by two tantalizing opportunities for the Tigers that weren’t cashed in, proved to be the difference. Wittenberg took more shots in the game, 13-10, but the Tigers once again couldn’t finish the offensive chances.

Next: 10/9 vs. Earlham, 4 p.m.

October 1, 2002

Kaitlin Hiscar

The overtime loss bug is contagious, and now it has spread to the women’s soccer team. For a team that has lost four 1-0 games - three in regulation - and is struggling to score goals without injured team leader Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) that isn’t good news. The Tigers went into last week’s matches with an NCAC win under its belt and hope that a turnaround was imminent, despite Woessner’s injury, which was suffered against Elmhurst on Sept. 22. Once again, however, momentum was not seized and a pair of losses to Cedarville and Allegheny ensued.

On Wednesday, in a game taped by Time Warner Cable and scheduled for cablecast at 8 p.m. on Oct. 2 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 5, Wittenberg dropped a 2-1 decision to visiting Cedarville. Despite taking the lead in the first half on a goal by junior Kaitlin Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) the Tigers couldn’t hang on. A goal by Cedarville with less than 10 minutes remaining on the clock tied things and then an overtime tally made the difference. Then on Saturday, the Tigers traveled to Meadville, Pa. and probably never should have gotten off the bus, falling to Allegheny 7-0.

Wittenberg will attempt to turn things around this Saturday against neighborhood rival Urbana on Wednesday. The Tigers are also in action on Saturday of Parents Weekend with a 1 p.m. game opposite NCAC foe Kenyon.

Next: 10/2 vs. Urbana, 4 p.m.

September 24, 2002

Jenny Miller

After winning their last two games the Tigers thought they had put their frustrating habit of losing close games behind them. But on Sunday, the Tigers couldn't overcome visiting Elmhurst, falling by a 1-0 score for the fourth time already this season.

With minutes left to play in the first half Wittenberg fell behind on a ball that was crossed in and then finished at the back post in what would be the only goal of the match. Tiger goalkeeper Jenny Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother Of Mercy) kept the Tigers in the match, making 10 saves despite being shaken up briefly on a collision with an Elmhurst player.

The nonconference defeat to Elmhurst came on the heels of encouraging shutout victories of 4-0 over Muskingum on Tuesday and 2-0 over NCAC rival Hiram on Saturday. In both games, junior Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) came up big on the offensive end, scoring one goal against Muskingum and adding a goal and an assist against Hiram. At week's end, she had contributed directly to seven of the team's 11 goals this season.

In recognition of her efforts, Woessner was named NCAC Player of the Week, an honor she has earned numerous times in women's soccer, basketball and track in her three years at Wittenberg.

Also scoring against Muskingum were freshman Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial), junior Kaitlin Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) and freshman Melissa Gallion (West Jefferson, Ohio/West Jefferson). Against Hiram, the other score was provided by freshman Julie Hoeksema (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian).

The Tigers return to action against Cedarville on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in a game that will televised on tape delay by Time Warner Cable in the Dayton area at 8 p.m. on Oct. 2 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 5.

Next: 9/25 vs. Cedarville, 4 p.m.

September 17, 2002

Rachel Ridgeway

Close but no cigar. Tiger women’s soccer Head Coach Norm Riker hasn't enjoyed a stogie all year as a result.

Already the owners of three 1-0 losses in the 2002 season, the Tigers' frustration grew a little more at Transylvania on Saturday in a 2-0 loss. Sophomore midfielder Rachel Ridgeway (Montclair, NJ/The Taft School) did fire five shots toward the opponents’ goal, but she never found the mark. Defensively, both Tiger goalkeepers yielded one score. Sophomore Eileen Quinn (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) had five saves and junior Jenny Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) had four.

Non-conference action continues this week with a home game against Muskingum on Wednesday before NCAC action commences with a road game at Hiram on Saturday.

Next: 9/18 vs. Muskingum, 4 p.m.

September 10, 2002

Geri Woessner

Eileen Quinn

The Tiger women's soccer team also got on the winning side of the ledger over the weekend in Indiana, falling on a penalty kick against perennial powerhouse DePauw on Saturday before finally breaking out with a 4-0 win over Rose-Hulman on Sunday.

Prior to the win over Rose-Hulman, the Tigers had lost to 2001 NCAA Division III tournament participants Mount St. Joseph and DePauw, and perennial Ohio Athletic Conference contender Wilmington. The losses to MSJ and DePauw were both by 1-0 scores, while the Quakers broke out for three second-half goals in a 4-1 victory.

Against Rose-Hulman, the Tigers may have finally found the offensive combination as junior Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) had two goals and an assist, freshman Lindsay Zigler (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) had a goal and an assist, juniors Cristin Gill (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) and Kaitlin Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) had goals and freshman Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) chipped in with an assist. Getting her first start in goal, sophomore Eileen Quinn (Glenview, Ill/Glenbrook) recorded a shutout, making three saves along the way.

The Tigers continue with non-conference action this week with road games at Ohio Dominican and Transylvania, and a home game next Wednesday opposite Muskingum, giving Wittenberg time to straighten things out before the always grueling NCAC conference race.

Next: 9/11 at Ohio Dominican, 4 p.m.

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