OBERLIN, OH – Kicking off their home season, the Oberlin College field hockey team battled in the heat on Bailey but came up short against conference foe Washington and Jefferson. The 4-1 loss drops the Yeowomen back to 0-5 on the season and 0-2 in NCAC play.
 
The striking duo of Mary Rodman and Bella Tilford led the Crimson and Gold attack, accounting for all three shots on cage. Tilford notched the lone goal for Oberlin, coming at the 37' after the halftime break.
 
Minding the cage, Janny McCormick put up an impressive fight against the Presidents. The second-year collected five saves that were highlighted by a trio of diving stops throughout the match.
 
Nearly securing a scoreless first quarter, the Yeowomen only gave way to W&J after the Presidents cross the arch in a penalty corner to jump ahead on the board. Elly Scheer and Paloma Szyfer responded in the final second of the period coming off a penalty corner. After receiving the pass from Scheer, Szyfer sent the ball just a hair wide of the cage to welcome the quarter break.
 
The second period looked identical to the first, namely Oberlin running a staunch defense through the first ten minutes before giving way to the Pesidents' second goal at the 24:42 mark.
 
Down 2-0 at the half, the Crimson and Gold came out of the break stronger to get on the board for the first time in Knowlton. Streaming downfield with the ball, Tilford broke past her defender before connecting with the back of the at 36:05. The score marks Tilford's first of the season and of her career.
 
Oberlin's shift in momentum was short-lived, however, as W&J added two more goals before the end of the match to capture the conference victory, 4-1.
 
The Crimson and Gold return to the conference circuit with their second of four straight home games next Saturday, September 28. Oberlin hosts the DePauw Tigers in a conference matchup set to begin at 12 p.m.
 
Fans can watch all the home matches live online. Home contests can be accessed on a TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.