Women's soccer wins in NCAC

For the first half of play, the goal eluded the women's soccer team Wednesday, a half against Case Western Reserve University that was painfully similar to four of their last five games.

The half found the Yeowomen down 1-0, but dominating play. Saturday the Yeowomen dominated play but slipped to Earlham 2-1 in overtime.

Case Western was a different game. In the second half, the tide changed.

Sophomore Lisa Novins put the ball in the net twice within five minutes to give the team a win.

The conference win over Case Western Reserve University Wednesday gave the team their first league victory since beating Earlham College in their last conference game of 1994.

The team's record now stands at 4-5-1 and 1-3 in conference play.

Tuesday, the Yeowomen began what they're calling a new season. With nine games left and nine to play, the team and coach Blake New split the season, putting their first nine games behind them. He expects better things during their second season.

"People really came out with a new attitude [Wednesday]," sophomore Lisa Novins said. "And now that we've won, people are psyched to have that feeling again."

"I totally wanted to play my ass off," first-year Andrea Mignolo said. "I just was sick of possessing the ball for ninety percent of the game and losing."

Against Case Western, the Yeowomen outshot the Spartans 17-6, but didn't find the net in the first half. With three balls sailing over the goal, they would've had nine points had they been playing football.

Novins solved the team's tentativeness. With ten minutes gone by in the second half, junior Katherine Roberts sent a missile thirty feet into the air and crossing the field. The missile landed on Novins' forehead and bounced past the keeper into the net.

Minutes later off a cross from first-year Emily Henry, Novins chipped the ball over a diving keeper, giving the Yeowomen the lead.

The Yeowomen continued to attack and put the pressure on. When play stopped the Yeowomen were on top for the first time since game four.

"See this," first-year Erin Williamson said with a grin, a smile that the team had been waiting for since conference play began. The team celebrated with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that Henry supplied.

"I don't play only to win," Williamson said. "But...winning is a nice feeling."

Saturday the not yet smiling Yeowomen hosted Earlham on the practice field. The game field was just one big puddle.

The game was typical of the slump that caused the team to refocus.

"We had the attitude that we were going to play and weren't necessarily going to win," Novins said.

The Yeowomen dominated play, outshot the Quakers 16-7 and kept the ball on the Quakers' side of the field. Fifteen minutes into the second half Novins put the Yeowomen up 1-0.

"We became complacent," New said. "We made two defensive mistakes and lost. We were so much better than that team it was ridiculous."

The Quakers answered ten minutes later to send the game into overtime.

Earlham crossed the half only three times in the overtime period.

Unfortunately one of those times a ball from junior Katherine Roberts decided to stop in a hole of water right in front of an Earlham attacker. The attacker knew what to do with the ball and with five minutes left in the second overtime, the score was Earlham 2, Oberlin 1.

"It was a really sad game," Williamson said. "They didn't win on their merits, they won on our mistakes."

The difference between Wednesday's game and Saturday's was much more than just being lucky and putting the ball in the net.

"We didn't create chances in the Earlham game," New said. "In the Case game we created the chances. That's a monumental difference."

The Yeowomen are now 1-0 in their new season.

Saturday the Yeowomen play at Wittenberg College and then they don't play again until Oct. 12.

Splish Splash: Senior Camille McPhearson beats an opponent and keeps her footing during Oberlin's overtime loss to Earlham Saturday(photo by Matt Sewell)