DePauw University stood no chance last Saturday, as the Yeowomen dominated the Tigers 17– 10 to claim their first conference win of the season. After coming off of a difficult loss to Denison University, ranked 5th in the NCAA West Region, the Yeowomen had just three days to prepare for DePauw.

Going into Saturday’s game, sophomore Jodi Helsel said the team “focused on improving team morale and working together as a unit,” and “concentrated on attack to get more of an offensive rhythm going.”

That offensive rhythm was clearly in effect Saturday, as sophomore Kate Hanick and senior Ilyssa Meyer scored the first two goals of the game within five minutes. The team continued to maintain control of its early lead, outscoring the Tigers 10–7 in the first half.

“Our offense really clicked playing DePauw,” said Meyer, who fin- ished the game with a career-high seven goals. “We got our flow to- gether and started creating space for each other to work our way toward the net. I think our confidence went up as the game went on, which allowed us to take advantage of more opportunities.” Going into the second half, the Yeowomen’s attack did not let up, with Meyer netting her fifth goal of the game in just under two minutes. After allowing a DePauw goal at four and a half minutes, Oberlin fought back with three consecutive goals from senior Molly Bloom, Meyer and sophomore Bronwen Schumacher.

All around, the Yeowomen were more aggressive than the Tigers, finishing the game with 28 shots and 27 ground balls to DePauw’s 18 shots and 18 ground balls. This decisive victory was attributed mostly to the Yeowomen’s strong defensive performance. Led by senior goalie Madeleine O’Meara, the defensive unit allowed only three goals after the half, working together to lock down the Tigers’ attack. The Yeowomen are hoping to bring this momentum with them today as they challenge the St. Vincent Bearcats at home.

“Defensively we made some critical mid-game changes that really worked well to shut down their attack,” said Helsel. “I think if we play a good defensive game, we can also completely shut down the St. Vincent attackers with our zone [defense].”

Oberlin’s conference game against Ohio Wesleyan University this Wednesday was postponed tuntil next Thursday due to inclement weather.

With a week until the next conference game, Meyer feels confi- dent about the team’s abilities leading up to playoffs. “Our biggest goal for the rest of this season is getting to the [North Coast Athletic Con- ference] tournament. I have full confidence that we can. Nobody wants it more than us.”