DePauw field hockey improved to 7-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference and 9-3 overall after defeating Wittenberg 4-0 over the weekend.
The Tigers have come a long way since the team had a less than ideal start to the season. The team has been scoring goals prolifically while keeping opposing offenses stifled. In the past eight games, the Tigers scored 29 goals and conceded only one.
Defense has been the key to DePauw's success this season, but every aspect of the team has functioned in keeping the opposition out. Senior defender Sydney Sprawls commented on the full team effort on defense.
"The first line of defense is the offense, not just the back line," Sprawls said. "Good communication and team positioning really helps us keep possession and keep the ball in their end."
Because of the huge success of the team, players have found themselves leading in many statistical categories.
Junior goalkeeper Maggie Steele leads the NCAC in fewest goals against, allowing a mere ten goals over twelve games. Additionally, Steele leads the NCAC in fewest goals against per game with 0.86, making her the only keeper in the NCAC with a goals against average per game below 1.0.
"One word we say before every game is 'together'. The biggest factor to my personal success is the team I have in front of me," Steele said. "They make my job really easy because every time we step out there, we're working toward the shutout. We have probably given up the fewest shots as a defense as well."
The defensive back line has clearly been very solid and Sprawls has been an anchor at the back for the Tigers. Sprawls commented on the changes that DePauw has made this season regarding formation and necessary readjustment that may have factored into the slow start at the beginning of the season.
"This year we changed our positioning to a more attacking formation," Sprawls said. "We had to get comfortable with the new positioning which took time, but we know each other's position, and knowing how everyone will react has helped us become a more solid team defensively."
In addition to solid defensive play, the Tigers' midfield has been dominant in the middle of the field with excellent ball movement and retention of possession. Freshman Addie Ball and junior Chelsea Cutler share seven assists between the two of them in addition to Cutler's seven goals. These contributions have been instrumental as many of these goals and assists have come in vital moments of the game either at the end of a half, right at the beginning of a half, or at a time after DePauw has been under considerable pressure.
Ball is currently two assists off the NCAC lead, a considerable contribution for a first-year.
"I have loved being able to go out on the field and support the people around me," Ball said. "The energy on the field is amazing and I love being a part of it. Our coach always talks about assisted goals and I think it speaks to how we work as a team and use everyone on the field."
The Tigers also must attribute much of their success to the prolific work of their forwards. Juniors Paige Henry, Kate Jovanovic and Maggie Campbell have scored a total 17 goals between them. NCAC named Henry player of the week last week, and Jovanovic and Campbell's high work rate on the counter attack makes the front line of DePauw a force to be reckoned with.
DePauw looks to stay on track as they take on Kenyon College and Denison University for the second time this weekend. Denison should prove a tough match for the Tigers considering they are the only team that has managed a goal against the Tigers since the beginning of September.