WOOSTER, Ohio – With a spot in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament on the line, The College of Wooster women's soccer team dropped a 1-0 result to the visiting Wittenberg University Tigers to finish out of tournament contention on Saturday afternoon at Carl Dale Field.
It was the second-consecutive year in which the Fighting Scots (6-9-4, 3-2-3 NCAC) were pitted against Wittenberg (12-3-2, 7-1-0 NCAC) in the final regular season game with a spot in the conference tournament on the line.
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| Sophomore Harper Jones heads the ball forward as she takes on a pressing defender. The second-year forward finished with four goals on the year, three of them coming as game-winners. |
Wooster entered the day with 12 points, sitting tied with DePauw University (9-6-1, 5-3-0 NCAC) while just one point behind Kenyon College (6-9-2, 4-3-1 NCAC), who played non-conference opponent Wheaton (Ill.), meaning the Scots would qualify with a win.
In a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the Tigers outshot the Scots 5-3, though none of Wittenberg's attempts fell on frame.
Senior Kennedy Payne, who returned to the pitch for the first time after suffering a knee injury on Oct. 8 at Kenyon, tallied the Scots' best first-half opportunity with an on-target connection in the 35th minute, but Witt 'keeper Hannah Wilson did well to collect the save.
After an early offside against Wooster in the opening of the second half, sophomore Harper Jones, who came off a game-winning goal performance just three days prior at Allegheny College, fired a near-post attempt on frame but to no avail as Wilson tallied one of her three saves on the day.
The Tigers responded with two quick attempts of their own in the 55th and 57th minutes, respectively, though both carried wide for a Scots' goal kick.
In the 80th minute, Witt broke away after a throw-in cross from Leah Soutar found the feet of Megan Davis, who stood far post awaiting the lofting front-flip-style throw before finishing from close range for the game-winner.
In a near-miracle, senior Kathleen Kalafatis found herself with a narrow-angled shot attempt in the game's final second from just inside the box along the right side, but Wilson denied the angle to give Witt a 1-0 win on the road.
Wittenberg finished with a 10-7 shot advantage.
Senior goalkeeper Carly Eppler tallied no saves on the day as Wittenberg converted on its one and only shot on goal.
Payne finished the season with a team-high three assists, while Jones and fellow sophomore Caroline Dres both posted a team-high four goals on the season.