Field hockey upends conference champs

The slam of senior Jessica Resnik's winning goal hitting the backboard could be heard through the fans urgent shouts and the unseasonably chilly rain.

Junior Ellen Scott's two earlier goals kept Oberlin neck and neck with Ohio Wesleyan until the final minute of the game when Resnik received a crisp pass from junior Kate Daloz and drove an unstoppable shot past OWU's defense to bring Oberlin's field hockey team to a 3-2 victory against last season's conference champion.

OWU's defense spent the majority of the second half in Oberlin's defensive end, pressing the left side of the field and keeping Oberlin's fullbacks in constant play.

Oberlin Goalie Liz Breakstone, a sophomore, had to hustle and make a few saves which were instrumental to Oberlin's success.

But after Ohio Wesleyan's second goal in the second half, Oberlin's offense charged the goal and sped up the pace of the game, forcing Ohio Wesleyan to bend to Oberlin's style of play.

Four corner hits in the final ten minutes of playing time compounded the pressure of the tie game until Oberlin's determination and spirit won out in the crucial last minutes of the competition.

Oberlin's field hockey coach Mindy Manolovich beamed with pride, telling her team that she'd seen the most heart and determination in the final half of any game thus played.

The final 0-2 score of Oberlin's loss to Denison on Wednesday is no true reflection of the dominating game Oberlin field hockey played.

The ball scarcely wandered into Oberlin's defense, but the offense lacked the consistency needed to score and bring Oberlin to victory.

Manolovich said, "Denison's a tough team with a lot of key players."

The team's working hard to increase the consistency of their shots and bring the energy level of the team up before this weekends tournament.

Despite the upset on Wednesday, Manolovich is optimistic.

"We learned a lot from the game against Denison and look forward to showing it this weekend," Manolovich said.

The team plays at DePauw University and Centre College at Hanover College this weekend.

Reaching for it:In the field hockey game Saturday, Oberlin outreached OWU with senior Jessica Resnik's last-minute heroics(photo by Matt Sewell)