Thomas Pitney
Sports Editor
The Wooster Fighting Scots field hockey team defeated Oberlin College on Friday, Oct. 22 to win 6-0 in front of its home fans. As the score indicated, the Scots dominated all aspects of the game, taking 29 shots compared to Oberlin’s 2 shots. With this win, the Scots improved to a 7-6 record on the season.
In the first period, it was clear that the Scots’ offense would play aggressively and uptempo as they pushed into Oberlin territory. Within the first four minutes, Wooster had four shots on goal. Captain Sydney Schuster ’21 said that the Scots’ ability to consistently penetrate the Oberlin defense was because “our midfielders and defenders worked hard to get that ball into the circle for us forwards to finish the job.” The Scots finally broke through the Oberlin defense for their first goal when Ciara O’Connor ’24 scored on an assist from Caitlin O’Connor ’22. Although the Scots took two more shots on goal, they were unable to score in the rest of the first period.
The Scots took control of the game in the second period, scoring four more times to break open a 5-0 lead before halftime. Schuster started the scoring spree when, 1:30 into the second period, her shot from the top of the circle deflected off an Oberlin defender’s and the goalie’s sticks before finding the net to give Wooster a 2-0 lead. Five minutes later, Ciara O’Connor ’24 assisted Captain Katie Agatucci ’22, who scored her first goal to give Wooster a 3-0 lead. After another minute passed, Schuster broke through Oberlin’s defense for a second time to give Wooster a 4-0 advantage. Schuster was complimentary of O’Connor, who got her second assist of the game from this play, saying that she “made a great pass to me at the top.” With one minute remaining in the first half, Agatucci capped off the offensive explosion with her second goal assisted by Schuster. Agatucci explained how she was able to deceive the Oberlin goalie. “The second goal assisted by [Schuster] was a break away one-on-one with the goalie and I was able to lead her to the right then shot into the left corner of the goal.” The Scots’ terrific team effort allowed them to go to the locker rooms with a 5-0 lead.
In the third quarter, the Oberlin defense stiffened, limiting the Scots to just three shots and no goals. Fortunately for Wooster, Oberlin’s offense was also stymied, as they could not frame any shots on the Wooster goal during the third quarter. The Scots’ offense ignited in the fourth quarter, shooting eleven times and extending the lead to 6-0 with 4:30 remaining in the game on an Agatucci breakaway goal.
The dominating performance by the Scots did not only boost team morale, but it also allowed them to improve on new aspects of their game. Captain Lucy Agurkis ’23 said that it was “definitely so exciting to have a shutout game and score six goals! It was a great opportunity to really work on connecting passes to our teammates and testing out some new skills.” Despite there being only three games remaining in the season, Wooster is not yet done. Schuster is confident about the home stretch of the season, saying that “with the determination and grit this team has, I am confident we will get the job done.” Agurkis is also proud of the team for its performance this season, noting that “we have pushed each other to be the best player we can be but also the best person we can be. These girls are some of my best friends and we have had such a good season together.”
The Field Hockey team plays its final regular season game at John P. Papp Stadium against Kenyon College at 5:00 PM on Saturday, Oct. 30. Come out and support the team in its final game!