Kayla O'Connor

Three second-half goals in under a six-minute span lifted the Wittenberg University field hockey team to a 3-2 win over The College of Wooster on Friday evening at Edwards-Maurer Field.

From the starting whistle, Wittenberg (4-3, 2-2 NCAC) maintained a majority of the offensive action, as the Tigers fired off six of the game's first seven shots.

Wittenberg appeared to have the go-ahead goal in the 29th minute, as Brighid Kortyna found herself with an opportunity on goal before being denied by Wooster's Rachel Wetzel in front of the cage, as the senior midfielder stepped in with a clutch defensive save.

With the end of the first half nearing, the Fighting Scots (3-5, 1-3) took a 1-0 lead as senior Kerry O'Connor bagged an unassisted strike in the 33rd minute for her fourth goal of the year.

In the half's closing seconds, a Wittenberg penalty corner manifested into back-to-back shot opportunities, but Wooster goalkeeper Lida LeVine came up big on the bang-bang play to help her team maintain a one-goal advantage going into halftime.

Wittenberg outshot the Scots 8-2 in the first half and held a 7-1 advantage in penalty corners.

Just like in the opening 35 minutes, Wittenberg came out attacking in the second, gaining penetration into the circle and looking for the equalizer, as the Tigers rattled off four shots in the half's opening 10 minutes.

Wooster senior Kayla O'Connor nearly doubled the Scot's advantage in the 51st minute, as the forward fired a shot, only to get the rebound before being denied again by Wittenberg 'keeper Sarah Brownell.

In the 55th minute, Fleur Vaandrager got the Tigers on the scoreboard as she put away a pass from Macenzie Reed on a penalty corner to equalize at 1-1.

Just over two minutes later, Riley Trexler gave Wittenberg the go-ahead goal with an unassisted shot in the 57th minute.

After a timeout from Wooster, play leveled out briefly, as no shots were taken from either side for more than four minutes.

Then in the 61st, Wittenberg recorded its third goal in under six minutes, as Audrey Coler found Trexler for her second of the game.

With less than three minutes left, Kerry O'Connor got the Scots back within one finishing a cross across the cage from sister Kayla O'Connor.

A last-ditch penalty corner effort from junior Lauren Abbott presented the Scots with one final attempt, but the Tigers cleared the ball from danger to preserve the 3-2 victory.

Wittenberg outshot Wooster 16-6 while finishing with a 10-3 edge in penalty corners.

LeVine finished with eight saves.

The Scots continue conference play on Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan University (4-3, 2-2 NCAC) at 1 p.m.