SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Wittenberg men's soccer fought into overtime against rival Wooster on Saturday by answering two one-goal deficits in regulation, but the Scots stole away a 3-2 decision in the 94th minute.
The Tigers fell to 5-11-1 overall and 1-5-1 in North Coast Athletic Conference competition with the loss, while Wooster improved to 4-9-1 overall and 2-5-0 in the NCAC.
Wooster opened the scoring in the 15th minute on a header just past junior goalkeeper James Van Artsdalen (Riverwoods, Ill./Deerfield), who finished the game with eight saves.
The Tigers responded quickly, evening the score when senior Kevin Bond (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) converted a set piece from freshman Tucker Stas (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) at close range. Bond notched his eighth goal of the season on the play, while Stas counted his third assist.
The game went scoreless for the next 35 minutes while the teams battled across the pitch. The action picked up in the 66th minute when Wooster again grabbed a one-goal advantage. The Tigers once again responded without delay on a stunning 40-yard free kick goal from senior Zach White (Lima, Ohio/Temple Christian). From in front of the Wooster bench, White drove an arcing shot towards the upper-right corner, getting some help from a stiff wind to knock the ball down just behind the goalkeeper. The score marked White's first trip of the season into the goal column.
That locked the score up at 2-2, a tally that held through the end of regulation. Just 3:10 into overtime, Wooster managed to eject a ball from a close scrum into the Tiger goal to put an end to things.
For the game, took 13 shots and put eight of them on goal, while Wooster shot 19 times and managed 11 on goal, but Wittenberg held a 7-4 corner kick advantage.
Wittenberg heads to its last road game of the season, a 3:30 p.m. contest at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, before returning home for the regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 2, against Allegheny at 7:30 p.m.
John Strawn '07