GAMBIER, Ohio – Second-seeded Wittenberg University claimed its first North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title since 2009 after a 1-0 win over top-seeded Kenyon College on Saturday afternoon at Mavec Field.
 
Wittenberg, who lost to Kenyon 3-0 earlier in the year, brought back a few missing defensive starters from that regular-season match and slowed down the Ladies on Saturday. With the victory, the Tigers (8-6-3) clinched the NCAC's automatic berth into next week's NCAA Tournament.
 
In the first half, the Tigers controlled virtually all of the possession while outshooting the Ladies 9-0. One of those shots turned out to be the game-winner.
 
At 16:18, Kaitlyn Krieg fired a perfect shot from the top of the 18-yard box to the left corner away from keeper Jillian Countey.
 
A little over a minute later, the Tigers nearly doubled up its lead but Countey stopped a Shannon Brueck attempt keeping the score at 1-0.
 
Kenyon finally started to manufacture some offensive movement in the second half. Following a save from Countey at 61:41, senior Gillian Blackwell raced down to the left end line and crossed a pass into the box. The ball came right to Samantha Hayes, however, her shot didn't have enough juice on it and Tigers keeper Hannah Wilson picked it up in front of the net.
 
Blackwell got an attempt at the 65th minute but that one went wide. Twenty minutes later, Campbell Fee came within feet of finding the equalizer. After a Tigers foul, a free kick was taken by Fee but her shot sailed just above the crossbar.
 
That turned out to be the last good look for the Ladies (9-7-3).
 
At the end of the match, Fee, Caroline McNeer and Brianna Maggard were named to the All-Tournament team while Krieg earned MVP honors.