Scots Recover From Early 4-0 Deficit to Claim
2007 NCAC Championship With 13-10 Victory Over OWU

(L to R) Co-captains Annie Steward and Jess Baylor are pictured here accepting the 2007 NCAC championship trophy from NCAC Commissioner Dennis Collins and Ohio Wesleyan senior women's administrator Cynthia Holliday.

Finding itself in an early 4-0 deficit and trailing by one (4-3) at the break, The College of Wooster women's lacrosse team used a big second half to mount a comeback, overtaking No. 1 seed and host Ohio Wesleyan to claim the 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference Championship on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Delaware, Ohio by a score of 13-10.

The Fighting Scots (12-4) entered the weekend as the third seed and saw themselves push past the top two seeds in the tournament to claim their fourth NCAC title in six years and their first since 2004 when the Scots won the last of their three consecutive titles spanning from 2002-04. Wooster is now also one win away from tying the school record for wins in a season, which was set by the 2004 squad that finished the season with a 13-4 overall record.

Ohio Wesleyan (11-4) began the game in control, scoring three times within the first five minutes of action and added another score at the 13:41 mark to take 4-0 lead.

Wooster responded by scoring three unanswered goals of its own, with Hillary Darragh and Carly Carey each netting unassisted tallies less than two minutes apart, the latter coming with 9:39 showing on the clock, before Darragh would convert a free position attempt into another score with 1:19 remaining in the period to cut the Battling Bishops cushion to one (4-3) entering halftime.

OWU quieted the Scots’ rally in the early minutes of the second period, using goals by Alexa Deaton and Julia Fouts to extend their lead back to three (6-3) just 1:10 into half, but Wooster answered again, this time with a 4-0 run over the span of seven minutes to take the lead for the first time in the game, 7-6 with 21:21 remaining to play in the contest.

Four different Scots scored during the spurt, including Darragh, while Taryn Higgins, Emily Baab and Allison Rubin also accounted for goals, before the Bishops would get back on the board again at the 20:20 mark, this time on a Lura Allen net-finder to tie the game at 7-7.

The Scots pulled together, holding OWU to only three more scores through the remaining 20 minutes of action, while lighting up the scoreboard six more times, including three unanswered goals in the waning minutes of the game, toppling the Bishops and bringing the title back to Wooster.

For the game, the Scots held a 42-32 advantage in shots and a slight advantage in draw controls (13-12), but the OWU defense scooped up 20 groundballs, while the Scots collected 18.

Individually, Darragh’s five-point day paved the way for the victory, as she netted four goals and added an assist, while Carey and Baab ended the game with three goals each. Also aiding the Wooster cause was Cassie Brown, who scored once and added an assist.

The Bishops were led by Paula Breen’s two goals and two helpers, while Deaton, Allen and Hannah Mudge tallied two scores a piece.

Once again, goalie Jamie Dannenberg was clutch in the net for the Scots, recording 11 saves on the afternoon, while OWU net-minder Maggie Eichenlaub stopped 10 Wooster shots during the contest.

With the victory, the Scots receive the NCAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III tournament set to begin next week, with first-round action kicking-off May 9th. Wooster will await word on its opponent, time and location, which will be announced on Sunday at 9 p.m.

2007 NCAC All-Tournament Team

Jess Little, Kenyon

Taylor Verderame, Kenyon
 
Read Powel, Denison

Quinn Simmons, Denison
 
Maggie Eichenlaub, Ohio Wesleyan

Alexa Deaton, Ohio Wesleyan

Paula Breen, Ohio Wesleyan

Lura Allen, Ohio Wesleyan

Jamie Dannenberg, Wooster
 
Hillary Darragh, Wooster
 
Emily Baab, Wooster

Britta Harman, Wooster