It was a beautiful day for field hockey on Saturday as the College of Wooster Fighting Scots clinched the top seed for the NCAC Championship with an impressive victory over conference rival Kenyon College. The Scots were led, as usual, by Brittany Montgomery í10 and Amanda Artman í10 as they rolled over Kenyon College in a stellar 5-1 victory on Senior Day. This performance was no surprise given the success both these ladies have had over the course of the season. Artman lead the NCAC this season in both goals and points, while Montgomery has put forth the best season of her collegiate carrer.
Despite sharing the conference Championship with the Wittenberg University, this victory secured a No. 1 seed for the Scots going into to the NCAC Tournament. This seeding gives the Scots home field advantage, which is very significant given that the Scots did not lose a home match in conference play all season.† Without a doubt this advantage will play a major role in how the Scots fair during the upcoming tournament.
The Scots managed to secure the victory despite an early Kenyon goal, as Claire Chapman scored on a penalty corner early in the first half. Soon after, the Scots began an offensive onslaught that Kenyon could only watch as Montgomery scored two goals in under four minuets. These goals marked the beginning of an incredible day for Montgomery, as she would soon crack Woosterís top 10 scoring list. These two goals put the Scots up 2-1 as the game went in to halftime. The lead would only grow throughout the rest of the game as the Scots pulled away for good after the intermission.
In the second half the Scots added to the lead when Artman weaved past three defenders to score the goal that set the new record for career points at the Wooster. Artmanís† career total is 185 points, breaking the previous record of 184 points set by Cindy Runnette in 1982. This achievement caps off a stunning career for Artman, who has scored 28 goals in her senior campaign.
This record-setting goal was not the end of the Scotsí offense, however, as Montgomery scored her third goal midway through the second half, pushing her into eighth place on the College of Woosterís top 10 scoring list. This goal marked the first hat trick of her impressive career. All of this offensive power overwhelmed Kenyon College as Wooster clinched the NCAC Co-Championship.
This week marks the beginning of the NCAC tournament with the semifinals taking place on Wednesday, as the Scots continued this seasonís success over the 11-7 Denison University Big Red. The Scots split the season series with Denison this year, defeating them 5-4 at home but losing to them in a closely contested 3-2 match when they visited Granville, back in September.
On Wednesday, the Scots braved the adverse weather conditions to secure a 4-2 victory over the Big Red.† After falling behind 1-0, the Scots took over, getting two goals from Lauren German í13 and one from both Montgomery and Artman. The win catapults Wooster into an NCAC championship match-up against No. 3 seed Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday at 5 p.m. under the lights at the John P. Papp stadium.