The men’s lacrosse team defeated North Coast Athletic Conference foe Oberlin College (3-6, 0-4 NCAC) last Wednesday at John P. Papp Stadium with crucial play by goalkeeper Corey McGann ’12 to finish with a 12-7 win.
Corey McGann was able to prevent the Yeomen from scoring in the final quarter of the game, during which the Scots (8-5, 2-1 NCAC) extended a two goal lead, adding three goals for the win.
In the opening stanza, Wooster outshot Oberlin 18-7, but the Yeomen’s shots were the ones finding the back of the net. Oberlin led early with two quick goals by Erik Strand and later Dylan Holmes to see Wooster trail by three in the first six minutes of the game.
Matt Pullara ’11 pulled the Scots out of their scoreless slump at the end of the first quarter to start a 5-0 scoring run by Wooster. Pullara recorded a hat trick in the first 21 minutes of the game while Alex Mies ’10 and Casey McGann ’12 added goals to give the Scots a 5-3 advantage.
The Yeomen kept the game close, trailing by one point going into the half and by two at the start of the fourth quarter. Wooster’s defense, led by Corey McGann in goal, played a critical role in the win. Corey McGann recorded his fourth double-digit save total this season.
Pullara led Wooster’s scoring with five goals, and Mies added two goals and three assists, while Dan MacVarish ’10 contributed with one goal and three assists.
After over a week-long hiatus, the Scots will play back to back games this weekend. Tomorrow they will battle Wittenberg University (8-2, 3-0 NCAC) at 1 p.m. in Springfield, Ohio.
The game could very well decide the eventual champion of the NCAC. The Tigers enter the game with an unblemished record in conference play, holding the top spot outright.
Co-captain Ryan Story ’10 acknowledged the significance of the Wittenberg game saying that “it truly is a rivalry game in every sense.” After the Tigers kept the Scots out of the NCAA tournament two seasons ago, the Scots responded last year with a 12-9 win over Witt in a highly contested match.
Story said that “everyone is excited for the opportunity to beat them [Wittenberg] since they are undefeated and the team to beat right now.” According to Story, the Scots have prepared well for the weekend showdown and have a gameplan to shut down Wittenberg’s top offensive threats Matt Lord and Mitch Cohagan.
After Wooster defeated nationally ranked Denison University on March 27, Wittenberg took down the Big Red in an overtime thriller on April 13. Both the Tigers and the Scots suffered their most recent losses at the hands of Colorado College who disposed of both by scores of 9-5 and 12-4 respectively.
The Scots’ lone loss this season in conference came after a trip to Deleware, Ohio when Ohio Wesleyan University took advantage of a battered Wooster team that had just returned from a very challenging spring break trip. Wittenberg has yet to play the Bishops.
On Sunday the Scots will return home to host Whittier College at noon at John P. Papp Stadium. The Poets will arrive in Wooster after being hosted by Ohio Wesleyan the day before.
A win tomorrow would ensure the Scots a shot at a shared NCAC title. Saturday will mark the last home game for five Wooster seniors who look to end their careers on a winning note, with hopes of an NCAA berth still alive.