Scots Intent on Snapping Skid with Matches at Oberlin, Earlham

Briana Lynch

The College of Wooster field hockey team, which has been beset by injuries this fall, is hoping to snap its first four-game losing streak since 1998 this week when the Fighting Scots take to the road for a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference contests. On Thursday, Sept. 20, Wooster will be at Oberlin College (3-3, 2-1 NCAC), the highest scoring team in the league (2.33 gpg), for a 4:30 p.m. match-up. The Scots are 51-8-4 all-time against the Yeowomen, following a sweep of the season series last year – 5-3 and 8-2. Then, Wooster is slated to be in Richmond, Ind., where it will take on host Earlham College (1-3, 0-3 NCAC) on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. The Scots own a 25-game win streak and an overall mark of 36-2 versus the Quakers, including 4-0 and 7-0 shutouts last fall.

Last Week: Wooster lost two close games in conference action, falling to 1-4 overall.

On Sept. 12, Denison University and the Scots played to a 1-1 deadlock through 70 minutes of regulation and another 30 minutes of overtimes before the Big Red spoiled Wooster’s 2007 home opener by prevailing in penalty strokes for the 2-1 victory. Denison got on the scoreboard during a back-and-forth first half, while the Scots controlled most of the second half, including the tying goal from freshman Briana Lynch (North East, Md. / North East), assisted by Piper Annese (Bedford, Mass. / Cambridge School of Weston). It marked Lynch’s first collegiate goal and Annese’s fifth career point. The Big Red had the upper hand throughout the stroke-off, converting all three of their attempts, while Wooster was 0-for-3. Sophomore goalkeeper Izzy Maffetone (Setauket, N.Y. / Ward Melville) was credited with five saves during regulation and the overtimes, and the Scots’ backfield combined for another four defensive saves, including two by junior back Anna Hurley (Oxford, Ohio / Talawanda).

On Sept. 15, Kenyon College got the best of Wooster, slipping past the Scots 2-0 in a rematch of the 2006 NCAC Tournament championship game. The Ladies scored with 3:19 remaining in the first half and eventually put the game away, capitalizing on a breakaway at the 6:39 mark of the second half. Defensively, Maffetone came up with six saves on 13 shots for the game.