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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Senior forward Shane Price (Minford, Ohio/Minford) made sure that the Tigers' 2008 season would last at least one more match with his late-game heroics in a 1-0 win over the Hiram Terriers in their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament semifinal meeting. His goal in the 84th minute was enough to propel the Tigers past the same squad that had spoiled their Senior Day only four days earlier.
After a great season that seemed to be slipping away from the Tigers, the win over Hiram both advanced Wittenberg to its first-ever NCAC Tournament championship game and improved the team's chances of recieving the first NCAA Division III Tournament bid in more than a decade.
In another tightly contested match between the conference foes, the Tigers settled into a defensive mode from the outset. With both teams looking to avoid an early deficit, the shot totals from the first 45 minutes saw just five Tiger attempts, none of which were on frame - although Wittenberg did have several good scoring chances on long crosses. At the other end of the field, freshman goalkeeper Michael Lambeck (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) came up with two saves in each stanza to keep the Terriers off the board.
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Andy Sharek (No. 9) goes high for a ball during Wednesday's game at Hiram.
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The second half saw an increase in intensity, with the two teams totaling 12 shots and 14 corner kicks. Midway through the final 45 minutes, Tiger junior forward Brian Glenn (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) was fouled in the Hiram penalty box, but his resulting penalty kick was denied.
The break-through came just over seven minutes before time expired when senior forward Matt Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) played an outstanding through ball to Price, who used his speed to shake free and take a shot from 20 yards that found the back of the net for his 13th goal of the season. After that, the Tigers clamped down - unlike the previous meeting when Hiram rallied from a 3-1 second half deficit to claim a 4-3 win in double overtime.
With the win, the school record-breaking 16th of the season for the Tigers, Wittenberg moves on to its first-ever NCAC Championship match, playing the winner of the Ohio Wesleyan-Kenyon match, at a site and time to be determined.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant, and Brenton Dawson
Photo Courtesy Hiram College