Field Hockey Drops Tough Contest in Sudden Death

If their first game is any indication, the Yeowomen are headed for another season of hope and manifold challenges.

Oberlin squared off at home last Saturday against Wittenberg, the team they narrowly defeated in overtime in last seasonıs opener. This yearıs inaugural game looked just about the same on paper, with one crucial difference: instead of winning 2-1, the Yeowomen suffered a tough defeat by the same score in sudden death at the hands of the Wittenberg Tigers.

The home squad came out looking strong from the beginning. Oberlin started the game with a powerful drive deep into Wittenberg territory. They displayed their renowned fast break, led by the impressive speed of junior attacker Vanessa Wirth (1999 All-NCAC Second Team). After multiple struggles for possession in the midfield area, Oberlinıs defense, headed by junior goalkeeper Pam Walker, dominated the action. The Tigers launched a fierce assault on the Yeowomenıs goal, but this scoring opportunity was averted by Walkerıs aggressive goaltending technique, in which confrontation and last-second dives tended to figure prominently.

The Yeowomen certainly did not seem overmatched against their opponents. On the contrary, Oberlin proved quite successful at gaining possession of the ball and moving it downfield in a combined effort characterized by strong passing and good ball handling.

More than midway through the first half, the home team looked more fluid in their offensive efforts than in many games last season. Head Coach Liz Graham, returning for her second season as the Yeowomenıs fearless leader, confirmed this observation.

³Weıre playing a much better and much faster passing game,² she said, adding that passing was a major focus in pre-season training. ³Iıve been incredibly pleased with our conditioning level.²

Sophomore Christina Congleton echoed this sentiment. ³We have a very positive feeling about the new season,² she said.

The Yeowomenıs optimism and high level of performance could be attributed to the teamıs hard work in the pre-season, which began on Aug. 22 and consisted of two full weeks of two-a-day practices. All of this hard work culminated in a scrimmage against Kenyon which finished in a tie.

The second half against Wittenberg began with a bang. Within the first minute of play, sophomore attacker Chaney Stewman led a relentless drive that resulted in a goal by junior Emily Johnson, Oberlinıs second-highest scorer in 1999. Unfortunately, their lead lasted less than three minutes, as the Tigers rocketed back across the field to score, despite the strong efforts of Walker. With the game tied at one goal apiece, the Yeowomen again demonstrated the power of their fast break. This repeatedly put pressure on Wittenbergıs goal with stronger, more focused drives than were typical last season.

Coach Graham attributed the improvements to experience. ³We have pretty much the core of the team back again,² she pointed out.

Going into the first game, according to sophomore Chaney Stewman, the feeling was fabulous. ³We were really excited because we only lost one senior,² she said. That senior would be Maggie McFalls, who graduated last spring and is the only starter not returning for the new season.

Said Graham about Saturdayıs game, ³We did a much better job being offensive. We are starting to recognize each otherıs strengths.²

In an effort to pinpoint the changes on offense, Graham explained that several key players, including sophomore standouts Chaney Stewman and Briana Quinn, have been promoted to more offensive roles. Stewman, for example, has become more of an attacker, while Quinn has been moved to midfield from a defensive position. Also notable is the return of senior Julia Rosenberg, who missed nearly half of the 1999 season due to an injury. Rosenberg, along with Annabeth Macy and Abigail ³B² Chatfield, is now one of three seniors on the team.

With the game still tied at the end of regulation play, Oberlin and Wittenberg went into overtime with a sizable and vocal crowd in attendance.

Unfortunately, the Yeowomen did not last long in overtime. After an unsuccessful drive led by Stewman, Oberlin saw the game slip away when Walker, in a standard one-on-one confrontation with Wittenbergıs Kelly McMullen, found herself unable to shut down the attack despite a heroic last-second dive. Losing 2-1 in overtime against the very opponents they defeated the same way last season, the Yeowomen of 2000 distinguished themselves as a team with much of the same strong potential as last yearıs squad, but still haunted by a few of the same demons.

The College of Wooster, much like Oberlin, fields a squad of returning players. Despite the addition of several promising first-years, the 1999 team has returned almost in its entirety. Coach Graham sees Wooster as a team whose strength lies in their midfielders. Her chief tactic against them is to beat them with speed down the wings of the field. When they faced the Fighting Scots of Wooster on Wednesday, the Yeowomen seemed determined to avenge their loss in the season opener with a strong win at home. This desire might be particularly ardent because five of Oberlinıs next six games are on enemy turf.

Within the first five minutes of play, the home team felt a great deal of pressure from Woosterıs powerful midfield, whose long strokes and consistent force kept Walker occupied. During the course of the game, Oberlin found itself the victim of numerous penalties inside the circle. These resulted in plentiful scoring opportunities for the opposing team.

After Wooster powered its way into Oberlinıs goal early in the first half, the home squad began moving the ball more effectively. In short, the Yeowomen turned a corner into a stubborn scoring threat, converted that into a penalty stroke, and netted their first goal courtesy of junior Jenny Lusk-Yablick.

Woosterıs ability to move the ball through the midfield quickly, as well as the many Oberlin penalties that resulted in corners for the Fighting Scots, made the opposition seem dominant at times. The Scots came back fighting after Oberlin tied things up, slapping a high shot over Walkerıs head just a few minutes later to give them the edge before the first half ended.

Still, the Yeowomen remained strong, as evidenced by Walkerıs confidence in leaving the cage to confront any scoring threat before it could reach her. A drive by junior Emily Johnson nearly ten minutes into the second half resulted in an unsuccessful shot by junior Vanessa Wirth, but the Yeowomen persisted. After Walker averted several corner attacks by the Scots, the stage was set for Oberlin to make its move. On the second of two corners midway through the half, the Yeowomen connected for their second goal.

With the game tied at 2-2, the intensity of play increased considerably. Soon after Oberlinıs second goal, Wirth was accidentally hit by the ball at close range off the stick of an opposing player, but shook off the pain and continued admirably.

Amidst excellent ball handling by the Yeowomen and persistently solid goalkeeping by Walker, Wooster managed to rack up two last corners in the final five minutes of play, and the second resulted in their third goal. Despite this heavy blow, the Yeowomen refused to surrender, mounting a literally last-minute drive against the Scots. Although it proved unsuccessful, it served as a stirring reminder that defeat on the scoreboard is rarely defeat of the spirit.

This Saturday, the Yeowomen square off at noon against yet another NCAC rival, Ohio Wesleyan. The first in a four-game road trip, this game will provide a change of scenery as well as an opportunity for Oberlin to turn its 0-2 record around and defeat a conference foe.