NCAA Rule Costs Women’s Soccer Four Starters
By Teresa Collins

An NCAA rule established last year that conflicts with Oberlin’s add/drop period has proven problematic for some of this year’s fall teams, particularly the women’s soccer team. The Yeowomen were forced to play its Tuesday game against Marietta College without four of its starters. The Yeowomen lost the close game 3-2 to drop their record to 4-4.
Not wanting to repeat the mistakes that led to the forfeit of the 2001-02 men’s basketball season, Oberlin’s administration sent all academic records for all varsity athletes to the NCAA to verify eligibility. After initially confirming to Oberlin that all players were eligible, the NCAA later notified Oberlin, on Sept. 13, that several players, including four women’s soccer players, had been in violation last year of an NCAA rule.
The rule, instated for the 2001 season, stated that a player must have the minimum number of credits — 12 at Oberlin — every time he or she participates in a game. Players that do not meet this requirement are not eligible to play.
Because the women’s soccer team played two games during Oberlin’s add/drop period last year, there were 14 players — four of whom returned to the team this year — who had not yet completed their schedules.
The NCAA determined that because Oberlin was not penalized last year, the four players — juniors Sarah Kipp, Tessa Stevens and Chelsea Wallis and sophomore Ellie Fitzpatrick — should sit out the number of games they played in violation in 2001 this season.
Fitzpatrick and Stevens only played in one game while in violation last year and only had to sit out the Marietta game. Kipp and Wallis played in two and will have to sit out tomorrow’s game as well.
“The rule is pretty lame,” Kipp said. “Lots of people had to fill in spots that they didn’t usually play. Becky played up top when she usually played defense.”
With the “lame” rule in effect, the starters watched the game from the sidelines. Sophomore Magdelen Dale had a spectacular game scoring both points for Oberlin.
“I was able to step up and score since both Kipp and Stackhouse were out,” Dale said.
Early in the first half, Dale scored with a cross assist from junior Mara Brecht. Afterward, Marietta scored twice to lead the game going into halftime 2-1. With 13:29 left in the game, Dale got an assist from first-year Lauri Stein and dribbled through three defenders to score and tie the game.
“Mara and Lauri did all of the work, I just put it in,” Dale said.
The game went into overtime and with 7:45 left on the clock, Marietta scored making the final score of the game 3-2.
“The last game was emotional,” sophomore Leah Frederickson said. “It was hard because people were out, we went into overtime, and people were playing positions they were not used to playing.”
The next game for the women’s soccer team will be their first conference game.
“We’re reorganizing the defense and working on different defensive strategies,” Frederickson said.
The game is away against the College of Wooster tomorrow at 12 p.m.

 

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