In the 55th minute of the Tigers girls soccer home match against the Manchester Spartans, the crowd, coaches, players and even the officials held their collective breath, for the seemingly endless moment in which junior midfielder Tobie Weston’s shot hovered knuckling towards the net. The shot, taken from the top of the box, had just enough touch and boot to freeze the Manchester keeper as sailed into the net. Weston’s ball not only drew the awe of all observers, but served the practical impact of doubling the Tigers’ lead in Wednesday’s non-conference tilt, a lead claimed just six minutes earlier on a left-footed strike from 20 yards out by senior forward Kate Burns. The 2-0 advantage proved to be enough for the Tigers, as they dominated their way to victory over Manchester.
Weston emerged as the star of the game for the Tigers. The midfielder had seven shots, along with her goal and assist. Burns contributed four more shots in to bolster the Tigers’ efforts.
The pair of Tigers’ goals came early in the second half, after a first half defined by the frustration of missed opportunities. The Tigers out-shot the Spartans 20-7 on the night, controlling the ball for most of the game. The Spartans were able to muster two gut-wrenching near-misses late in the game, but their last ditch efforts produced no goals, as one shot sailed wide of the goal, and the other rattled off the cross bar, preserving the Wittenberg shutout. The defensive effort was led by junior Mackenzie Bolon, who was able to disrupt the Manchester offense from her center back position.
On Friday, the Tigers’ 5-nil victory over NCAC opponent Ohio Wesleyan pushed them past the .500 mark for the first time in the season. Efficiency was the name of the game for Wittenberg, as they converted 12 shots into five goals. Four different Tigers found the back of the net on Friday, including senior Chelsey Marcum, who bookended the scoring on the night with two goals. Again, the defense for the Tigers was staunch on Friday, allowing only three shots on goal. Freshman Alex Murrietta and junior Maggie Grieser came together for the shutout.
The Tigers’ record stands at 5-4-1, as they head into a nine-day layoff, taking on the Denison Big Red in conference showdown. The Big Red are 6-4, after negotiating a tough non-conference schedule in Sept., and are led by junior Andrea White, who couples her four goals on the year with four assists.
