Tigers Turn Their Season Around Greatly For Seven Wins In Eight Games

Cara Romanowski

The Tiger women's lacrosse team is hot. Very hot. Seven wins in eight games hot heading into Tuesday's regular season finale against Oberlin at Edwards-Maurer Field.

Last week, the Tigers won three straight games in convincing fashion, upending North Coast Athletic Conference rivals Kenyon and Allegheny and defeating Medaille College on the road on Saturday. The wins moved Wittenberg to 7-5 overall and 5-2 in the NCAC following an 0-4 start to the 2003 campaign and into sole possession of third place heading into this weekend's four-team conference tournament hosted by defending champion Wooster.

While the team and individual highlights were aplenty on this night, senior Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) shone the brightest. Romanowski scored seven goals in a 17-10 victory over Kenyon on Wednesday, seven goals in a 16-2 win at Medaille on Saturday and six goals in a 12-6 victory at Allegheny on Sunday. In the victory over Allegheny, Romanowski moved into first place on the Wittenberg career goals scored list with 168, bettering the 164 scored by Jodi Bennyhoff, who played for the Tigers from 1987-90. In addition, she moved into fifth place on the NCAC career goals list, surpassing Elizabeth Barry of Oberlin, who had 164 from 1994-97.

Romanowski, the 2002 NCAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team regional All-America selection a year ago after leading the conference in scoring and goals, has 50 goals this season and has scored at least two goals in every game. With at least two games remaining in the 2003 season, Romanowski is now taking aim at the record for goals in a season (57), a mark currently held by Jo-El Miller in 1996.

For her efforts, Romanowski was recognized with NCAC Player of the Week honors.

Romanowski did have some help on the offensive end during the week, plenty of it in fact. Sophomore Jenny Burns (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) posted some gaudy numbers of her own, scoring 11 goals and distributing nine assists for 20 points of her own. She ranks second in the conference with 57 total points and an average of 4.75 per game, three spots ahead of Romanowski, who has 50 goals, 50 points and a scoring average of 4.17.

Defensively, the Tigers also continue to play well, led by junior all-conference performer Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney), the team leader in ground balls, and senior goalkeeper Rebecca Russ (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart), who is now 7-1 in net this season. She leads the conference in save percentage as she is turning away 64.9 percent of opponents' shots.