Wittenberg Falls To Denison In First NCAC Championship Appearance

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — After a long, successful season, for just the second time in their history the Wittenberg women's lacrosse team can call themselves the North Coast Athletic Conference runner-up, following an 11-9 loss to Denison in the NCAC Championship game Saturday at Edwards-Maurer Field.

The final conference standings, with positions one through four determined solely by the tournament, will list Wittenberg in second despite their undefeated 6-0 run through the league regular season.

The Tigers last finished second in 1990, before the implementation of a conference tournament in 1994, when they tied with Kenyon at 8-4 in league play. Wittenberg finished 12-5 overall that year, a win total matched for the first time in 22 years by the 2012 squad.

Denison started the match with a goal four minutes in, but a pair of Tiger scores just 46 seconds apart by junior Erin Guiliano (Loveland, Ohio/Kings) and sophomoreAlie Marousek (Pittsburgh, Pa./Portsmouth (NH)) gave Wittenberg a 2-1 lead.

From there, Denison and Wittenberg attacked and parried in a closely-fought affair. After Wittenberg grabbed the 2-1 lead, the Big Red and Tigers alternated goals before Denison hit on back-to-back attempts before halftime, taking a 5-4 lead into the break.

The teams again alternated goals through the first 10 minutes of the second period, a pattern that ended after a goal by senior Jennifer Close (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) tied things up at 7-7. Denison struck for three consecutive goals, and with 10 minutes remaining, the lead was too much for Wittenberg to overcome.

Marousek and Guiliano each finished with three goals, while Close, senior Lindsey Hanners (New Albany, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) and sophomoreFrancine Murzynski (Mentor, Ohio/Lake Catholic) each had one. Close also assisted on two goals, joined in the column by junior Kellen Morrisey (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill) with one.

For the third time this season, Murzynski finished with a team-best nine draw controls, and junior Katie Bondy (Westerville, Ohio/South) put up one of her best efforts in goal with 12 saves, including eight in the second period alone. JuniorKatie Warner (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy) contributed two caused turnovers.

For Marousek, her first season in the Red & White was a statistically significant one, as her 65 points ranks as the sixth-best single-season performance in program history. Her 27 assists is good for a third-place tie with Kati Robbins' output in 2000.

Murzynski also earned a spot in the season records with 80 draw controls, blowing past the previous mark of 44 by Jodi Ahnmark in 1996. Murzynski passed Ahnmark on April 11 when her eight draw controls in a 17-10 win at Ohio Wesleyan put her up to 50 on the season.

From a career perspective, Close will finish hers ranked 10th in career points with 127, while Morrissey is fifth in assists with 43 and Murzynski already ranks eighth in career draw controls at 106.

The team as a whole set several records, including single-season scoring (222), assists (104), points (326) and draw controls (220).

Wittenberg was well represented on the NCAC All-Tournament Team by Marousek, Guiliano, Murzynski and Warner.

John Strawn '07