Wittenberg University Athletics - Women's Soccer 2004 News Releases

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2004 News Releases

All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu

December 10, 2004

Wittenberg Women's Soccer Caps Season With Individual, Team Awards
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Ohio Wesleyan University is the preseason favorite in balloting by North Coast Athletic Conference women's soccer coaches conducted via email, edging last year's NCAC tournament winner, Denison, by four points. Read More ...

November 23, 2004

Twenty-Eight Wittenberg Student-Athletes And Two Coaches Earn Fall Sport Postseason Awards
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 28 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks. Read More ...

November 11, 2004

All-NCAC Women's Soccer Squad Announced; Wall, McIntyre Take Top Individual Honors
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio Wesleyan junior forward Sarah Wall (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and Wittenberg sophomore defender Jamie McIntyre (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) have been named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year to highlight the 2004 All-North Coast Athletic Conference women's soccer selections. Read More ...

November 11, 2004

Meghan O'Rourke

The Wittenberg women's soccer team nearly did what would have been thought to be impossible at the start of the 2004 season. The precocious young Tigers advanced to the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game before finally seeing their season end on Saturday.

A dream season ended at fifth-ranked Ohio Wesleyan as the Tigers, making their first appearance in the NCAC Tournament championship game, lost 1-0 to the top-seeded Battling Bishops. The Tigers dropped to 11-4-5 overall after posting a 5-3 NCAC regular season record, good for third place.

Ohio Wesleyan, which won national titles in 2001 and 2002, was the aggressor in the 2004 championship match, outshooting Wittenberg 16-3 and attempting seven corner kicks to one for the Tigers. Freshman goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) had four saves, but the Battling Bishops snuck one past her in the 56th minute.

Ohio Wesleyan, which beat Wittenberg 1-0 in double overtime in the regular season meeting between the two teams in Springfield, earned the NCAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

In the semifinal last Wednesday, the Tigers pulled off one of the biggest wins in school history by knocking off second-seeded and 14th ranked Denison on the road, 4-3 on penalty kicks. The game officially went down as a 0-0 tie, but the Tigers advanced with the penalty kick advantage.

O'Rourke was credited with five saves for the Tigers, who were outshot 14-10. The game came down to penalty kicks, and the youthful Tigers forced the Big Red to blink first. Sophomore forward Liz Volz (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton), senior midfielder Rachel Ridgeway (Montclair, N.J./The Taft School (Conn.)) and freshman midfielder Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) matched the Big Red on the first three penalty kick attempts. O'Rourke came up with her biggest save of the season on the fourth Big Red attempt on a perfect read. Then freshman forward Amanda Farrell (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) buried the fourth Tiger attempt. O'Rourke ended things with another perfect read and subsequent save.

The Tigers reached the postseason by winning the game they had to win, and when both Allegheny and Kenyon were defeated in similar win-or-go-home games, the storybook ending to the regular season was complete. Wittenberg reached the NCAC Tournament for the first time since 2001 by virtue of a 2-0 road victory over Oberlin.

The Tigers jumped on top just 15 minutes into the game as Ridgeway scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal off an assist from Rusch. Ten minutes later, sophomore Kelly Kreiger (Fairborn, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) scored her first collegiate goal off an assist from sophomore defensive back Jamie McIntyre (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview).

The two shutouts in the last three games ran Wittenberg's season total to 11, tying a nine-year-old school record. O'Rourke received credit for nine of them, while senior Eileen Quinn (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), who appeared in five games total, was responsible for the other two.

Next: Season Complete

October 29, 2004

Lindsey Rusch

The Wittenberg women's soccer team has played extremely well in the 2004 season, but in the rugged North Coast Athletic Conference that isn't always good enough. Saddled with a 4-3 conference record following Wednesday's 2-1 loss at nationally ranked Denison, the Tigers must defeat Oberlin on Saturday and hope for a loss by either Allegheny or Kenyon or see their season come to an unexpectedly early close.

In the loss to Denison, freshman midfielder Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) scored the game's first goal, but Denison equaled things before halftime and then got the game-winner in the second half after Rusch was unable to cash in on a penalty kick. That defeat came four days after a 2-0 home win for the Tigers over Hiram. In that win, Rusch scored both goals, with the first one coming off an assist from twin sister Lindsey Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). Freshman Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) and senior Eileen Quinn (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) split time in goal to record the shutout.

Rusch is the only player on the team in double figures for scoring with 20 total points. Her totals of eight goals and four assists are also highs on the team.

Next: 10/30 at Oberlin, 1 p.m.

October 22, 2004

Eileen Quinn

The Wittenberg women's soccer team was overdue for a stumble, and it finally came last week. The youthful Tigers had been wracked by injuries to key players and had won six games by razor-thin 1-0 margins before finally losing 4-1 at home to Kenyon in a key North Coast Athletic Conference match-up on Wednesday.

The defeat dropped the Tigers to 9-2-4 overall and 3-2 in the NCAC, which is as strong as ever this year. With three games remaining on the schedule, it is imperative that Wittenberg capture wins in at least two of them to assure themselves the opportunity to compete in the NCAC Tournament for the first time in three years.

Against nationally ranked Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 9, the Tigers dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 double-overtime decision, breaking a season-opening 11-game unbeaten string. The Tigers rebounded with a 1-0 home win over Earlham on Tuesday and another 1-0 home victory on Friday, this time over Urbana in nonconference action. Then came the loss to Kenyon, putting added importance on the Saturday afternoon home game against Hiram, also at home.

The defensive-minded Tigers have outscored opponents 20-11 and have recorded an NCAC-best eight shutouts in 15 games in 2004. The goaltending tandem of freshman Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) and senior Eileen Quinn (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) have a combined goals against average of 0.68 and a saves percentage of .831. Quinn started the two 1-0 wins last week after O'Rourke was injured in the loss to Ohio Wesleyan and was credited with both shutouts.

Offensively, freshman Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) is the team's leading scorer with 14 total points, followed by freshman Amanda Farrell (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) with nine points.

Next: 10/23 vs. Hiram, 3 p.m.

October 8, 2004

Liz Volz

The Wittenberg women's soccer team continued its magical ride through the 2004 season last weekend, upsetting perennial North Coast Athletic Conference powerhouse Allegheny on the road. It was the second straight 1-0 road win over a 2003 NCAC Tournament participant, coming a week after a 1-0 victory over Wooster.

The win against the Gators was even more dramatic than the win over Wooster since the game's lone goal was scored in overtime. A week after freshman midfielder Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) earned NCAC Player of the Week honors for scoring the game-winning goal against Wooster, sophomore forward Liz Volz (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) earned the same honor for her strike from the top of the penalty box that beat the Allegheny goalkeeper last Saturday.

In between the two NCAC victories, the Tigers earned a 1-1 tie against Wilmington on Sept. 28. Once again taking on a strong opponent on its home turf, the youthful Tigers rebounded from an early goal by the Quakers to even the score on a shot by sophomore defensive back Lauren Fraley (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy). Freshman goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), who leads the NCAC with six shutouts and ranks second in saves percentage at .857, made that score stand up.

After a full week off, the Tigers are back in action Saturday with perhaps their biggest home game in several years. Nationally ranked Ohio Wesleyan invades Bill Edwards Field for a 1 p.m. kick-off on Saturday. Both teams are unbeaten in NCAC action so far this season, but OWU has a decided advantage in the all-time series between the two programs. The Battling Bishops have won 15 of the first 18 meetings, while the Tigers have just one win ever against Ohio Wesleyan.

Next: 10/9 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 1 p.m.

October 1, 2004

Meghan O'Rourke

It's hard to imagine that even eternally optimistic Head Coach Norm Riker and his Wittenberg women's soccer team envisioned this kind of start for a team with a roster stocked mostly with underclassmen. But through the first month of the campaign, the Tigers remain unbeaten at 6-0-4 after a strong week in which they defeated perennial North Coast Athletic Conference powerhouse Wooster and tied perennial Ohio Athletic Conference power Wilmington.

What's more impressive is that both games were played on the road. In the win on Saturday over Wooster, which was also previously unbeaten, the game-winning second-half goal was scored by freshman midfielder Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). Freshman goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) made that 1-0 margin stand up with three saves as the Scots directed a total of nine shots toward the Tiger goal.

Against Wilmington, the Tigers set a record with their fourth tie of the season. Sophomore defensive back Lauren Fraley (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy) scored the Tigers' lone goal, an equalizer that came toward the end of the first half. O'Rourke and the Tiger defense came up big again the rest of the way to preserve the tie.

Next up for the Tigers, who are ranked in the top five in the Great Lakes Region, is another huge conference game, and again it is on the road. On Saturday, Wittenberg travels to Allegheny for a game that will undoubtedly serve as a measuring stick for the program. Two years, the Tigers were beaten 7-0 by the Gators on their home turf. Last year, Allegheny won 3-0 in Springfield.

Next: 10/2 at Allegheny, 11:30 a.m.

September 24, 2004

Lisa Rusch

The Wittenberg women's soccer team is off to an outstanding start to the 2004 season, but the meat of the schedule is still ahead, starting Saturday at undefeated perennial powerhouse Wooster. The Tigers are off to a 5-0-3 start to the campaign, including a mark of 4-0-1 against teams from the Ohio Athletic Conference.

The Tigers opened the season with a 3-1 win over Muskingum, followed by a championship in the Ohio Northern Classic, in which Wittenberg defeated Ohio Northern 1-0 and then tied Otterbein 1-1. Then came a 1-0 win over Capital and a road trip to Indiana in which the Tigers, now ranked in the top 10 in the region, tied Rose-Hulman and nationally ranked DePauw. In the last week, Wittenberg upended Mount Union 4-1 and Mount St. Joseph 2-0.

On the season, Wittenberg has outscored its opponents 14-5 overall, with 11 of the Tigers' goals scored by freshmen. Leading the way is freshman Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) with four goals and 10 total points. Freshman Amanda Farrell (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) checks in second with seven total points, all scored off the bench.

Defensively, the Tigers are allowing less than a goal per game, on average, with freshman goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) already credited with four shutouts on the season. She ranks among the NCAC leaders in goals against average (0.58). She has been protected by a stellar corps of defensive players, led by senior captain Meredith Belser (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay).

The Tigers are back at it in a key NCAC match-up on Saturday at Wooster, which is also unbeaten this year, and then they return to non-conference play for a tough game against nationally ranked Wilmington on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Next: 9/25 at Wooster, 1:30 p.m.

August 26, 2004

Ohio Wesleyan Preseason Favorite As North Coast Readies For 21st Women's Soccer Campaign
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio Wesleyan University is the preseason favorite in balloting by North Coast Athletic Conference women's soccer coaches conducted via email, edging last year's NCAC tournament winner, Denison, by four points. Read More ...

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