Wooster, Ohio – The Oberlin College field hockey team fought tooth-and-nail with The College of Wooster Fighting Scots for over 70 minutes, but in the end the Scots were 5-4 victors on Saturday afternoon.
The Yeowomen, who continue to play with passion and vigor, knotted the game at 4-4 with 11 minutes left to play in regulation. Yeowomen senior goalie
Maggie Gossiaux and the rest of the rearguard then stood tall down the stretch as Wooster peppered the arc in effort to avoid the extra session.
The 7-on-7 battle lasted 2:09 as Kayla O'Connor saved that ball from going across the end line and then flicked a shot past the out-stretched arms of Gossiaux to send the Yeowomen home heartbroken.
It was déjà vu for the Yeowomen in a sense as they fell to the Scots on the road in overtime nearly a year ago to the day, dropping that match by the same 5-4 scoreline on October 3, 2015.
Today's contest was the fourth one-goal game and third overtime affair of the season for the Yeowomen.
Oberlin came out aggressive and their attacking style paid off just seven minutes into the game. A pair of defensive saves by the Scots early in the match keep the game scoreless until
Amelia Huang found space in the circle and sent in her first goal of the season and second of her career.
The Scots responded with a pair of goals to take the lead, but in the 21
st minute the Yeowomen would get back to even as
Maureen Coffey one-timed in a corner feed from Huang for her fourth goal of the season.
A quick response goal from Wooster would again put them out in front, but it would ultimately be a 3-3 game at the intermission as Huang cashed in her second goal of the game as she got to the near post and took a pass from
Ariana Enzerink before directing it into the cage.
The Scots would score early in the second half, but the Yeowomen continued to scratch and claw and would even the score once more as Coffeey blocked a clear attempt by Wooster and then beat goalie Madi Thomas for her second score of the game.
The Yeowomen defense would fend off six penalty corners in the final nine minutes of regulation to setup the overtime ending.
Wooster finished with a 32-20 margin in shots, including a 21-4 advantage in the second half and overtime. Overall, 20 of the Scots' shots were on goal, while Oberlin had nine attempts on target. The Scots also had a 17-7 edge in penalty corners.
Gossiaux continued her strong play in goal, totaling 15 saves to run her season account to 96.
The Yeowomen will look to quickly forget about this one as they return home to host NCAC-leading Kenyon on Sunday at 12 p.m.
