Scots Close Non-League Play, Then at Witt for NCAC Opener

Laura Ayer

After a rare one-match week, The College of Wooster women’s soccer team will get into a routine of playing once mid-week and once on Saturday for the rest of the regular season. This Wednesday, Sept. 26, the Fighting Scots welcome John Carroll University (4-4) to Carl Dale Memorial Field for a 4:30 p.m. tilt. It will mark Wooster’s final non-league contest of the year, as the Scots aim to avenge last season’s 2-0 loss to John Carroll. Despite that setback, Wooster still owns a decisive 11-4 advantage in the northeast Ohio squads’ all-time series. The Scots will then be in Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 29, to open North Coast Athletic Conference play against Wittenberg University (7-2, 0-0 NCAC), which is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Region coaches’ poll. Start time is scheduled for 5 p.m., following the Wittenberg-Wooster football game.  The Scots and Tigers tied 1-1 during the 2006 regular season, but then Wittenberg triumphed 2-0 during the teams’ match-up in the NCAC Tournament semifinals. Wooster remains comfortably ahead in the all-time series, currently at 12-7-2.

Last Week: The Scots won their lone match of the week to up their record to 7-2.

On Sept. 22, Wooster scored two goals off corner kicks over the final 21 minutes of action, cruising past host Case Western Reserve University 3-1. The Scots initially got on the scoreboard via a Liz Mott (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. / The Masters School) unassisted goal in the 14th minute. The match stayed 1-0 through halftime, but early in the second, the Spartans tied it up. During the 70th minute, Wooster converted on its first corner kick of the day, with freshman Ashley Owen (Coshocton, Ohio / River View) accounting for the goal, her third of the season. The Scots would take advantage of their only other corner kick, as senior Laura Ayer (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) scored as the result of one during the 75th minute. Ayer now has six goals to lead the team and rank third in the NCAC. The Wooster defensive unit held Case to just six shots total and senior Abby Brown (Copper Canyon, Texas / Marcus) tallied four saves in the victory.