Tigers Recover From Loss With 7-0 Blowout Of Wilmington

Rachael Radel

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg women's soccer team took its first loss of the season in stride and came back out against Wilmington at home at Edwards-Maurer Field on Friday night with feet blazing, rolling to a 7-0 victory over 21st-ranked Wilmington. The Tigers improved to 5-1-3 on the season with North Coast Athletic Conference action about to start, while Wilmington fell to the same record.

Seven different Tigers contributed goals in the onslaught, and the defense worked just as hard at the other end to shut down NCAA Division III's 30th-ranked scoring offense, which averages almost three goals per game. The Tigers used all 30 players on the roster in the victory, which represented the largest margin of victory and the most goals scored for the Tigers since Oct. 20, 2001, when the team defeated Hiram by a 9-0 mark.

The scoring started just two minutes into the match when freshman forward Lauren McMahon (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline) fed freshman forward Kailey Striebel (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) for her third goal of the season and what would become the game-winning goal. Striebel dished out an assist of her own for the next goal, scored off the foot of sophomore forward Sheryl Chambers (Victorville, Calif./St. Joan of Arc) in the 12th minute of the game, her second of the season.

In the 27th minute, sophomore midfielder Allie Keefer (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) tallied her first goal of the season and the Tiger's third of the game in unassisted fashion. The second period saw the Tigers score within the first five minutes again, this time off the foot of senior midfielder Rachael Radel (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) on a corner kick. Sophomore forward Taylor Goss (Sandy Springs, Md./Friends School) scored off a Chambers assist in the 61st minute to push the advantage to 5-0.

Sophomore midfielder Lauren McMahon (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) put the Tigers sixth goal in the net unassisted at the 64-minute mark, before senior forward Kelly Clark (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) fed senior forward Emily Murray (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey) for the seventh and final goal with 13 minutes left in the game.

The Tiger defense was also back in action, limiting Wilmington to just six shots and only two on goal. The Quakers had been averaging 18 shots per game, normally putting eight of them on goal.

The women's soccer team returns to action on Sept. 30, with a 7 p.m. match at Ohio Wesleyan to open North Coast Athletic Conference action.

Written by: John Strawn '07