Women's soccer plays best games of season

While most of us were away on break the Yeowomen played their best soccer of the season.

In their last seven games, beginning with their games during midterms week, the Yeowomen won four, and the three losses were all 1-0.

"I'd say in the last two-week stretch we've played the best soccer we played all year," said Coach Blake New.

Oberlin beat Penn State-Behrend College 1-0 (Oct. 11), Walsh University 3-0 (Oct. 14), Mt. St. Joseph College 5-3 (Oct. 17) and Case Western Reserve University 2-0 (Oct. 29). They lost to Kenyon College (Oct.18), Frostburg State College (Oct. 22) and Earlham College on Saturday. With only one game left to play, their record stands at 7-11 and 1-6 in conference.

"It was a heartbreaker to lose to Kenyon," co-captain senior Rachel Maguire said. "We really were the better team."

In the match, the Yeowomen outshot Kenyon 22-7, but they couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Goalie junior Katie Hanson had four saves.

Kenyon scored early in the game.

"The ball just didn't bounce right for us," New said. At Frostburg, Oberlin allowed a goal in the second 15-minute overtime half. The other two games over break were much the same story.

"It was just 'cause we didn't come out strong like we did before," first-year Katherine Lanouette said.

Before break, the Yeowomen played Penn State and Walsh. Oberlin outshot Penn State 18-9 and Walsh 11-10. At Penn State, junior Sarah Allen scored the game's lone goal, assisted by junior Lisa Novins. The three goals against Walsh were scored by sophomore Maia Skutel, junior Tikvah Myers, and junior Lisa Novins.

The first two were scored within a minute and a half of each other. Myer's goal was her first goal this season.

On Oct. 17, the Yeowomen scored five times in a 5-3 shoot-out at Mount St. Joseph College. Lanouetta added one goal, while Novins and co-captain senior Katherine Roberts each scored two.

The team's 2-0 victory against Case Western on Oct. 29 was the team's first conference win.

"When you give yourself a chance and keep it close anything can happen," New said.

"I think Case Western was expecting an easier game," Lanouette said.

The Yeowomen have one game left, at home against Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday.

"We're playing our best soccer at the end of the year and that's what matters," New said.

Leaners: Women's soccer players practice drills that often look very artistic and deft. (photo by Zach Fried)