Wooster Clinches NCAC Championship, Behind Artman's Hat Trick

The College of Wooster field hockey team, led by Amanda Artman's third hat trick of the season, wrapped up the 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference championship Friday afternoon with a 3-1 victory at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Wooster (13-5, 10-1 NCAC), which will be the No. 1 seed for next week's NCAC Tournament, has now captured five NCAC crowns over the last eight years, including outright titles in 2001, 2006, and 2008.

On Friday, the Fighting Scots took advantage of a ball hitting off the foot of an Ohio Wesleyan defender in front of the cage 13:22 into the action. They were awarded a penalty stroke and Artman converted the opportunity, which turned out to be the lone scoring of the first half.

Early in the second, Wooster made it 2-0 when Artman tipped-in a Nina Dine attempt during a penalty corner. The Battling Bishops (12-6, 9-3 NCAC) cut it to a one-goal game with a little more than 20 minutes to play, with Christa Cocumelli chasing down and then lofting a ball from the left inside the right post.

Artman would seal the win with another penalty stroke goal at the 10:50 mark. She had gotten free on a breakaway and the Ohio Wesleyan goalkeeper broke up the play, but was called for a foul. Artman's three-goal day gives her 25 for the season – the most by a Scot player since 1982.

Wooster's defense held the Bishops to 11 shots and only two of them were on goal, as 'keeper Madalyn Myers was credited with just one save.

The Scots will complete the regular season Sunday with a home game against Kenyon College (9-10, 8-3 NCAC) at noon.