Wittenberg Hangs On To Earn Tie With Thomas More

Springfield, Ohio – The Wittenberg men's soccer team remained without a loss on the young 2012 season, but only by the most narrow of margins following a hard-fought 1-1 tie against visiting Thomas More.

The Tigers were outshot in the game by a whopping 19-4 margin, but sophomore goalkeeper Jeff Mengerink (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) was equal to the task on 10 of the 12 shots that were directed on frame. Wittenberg allowed a goal just 13 minutes into the game, but Mengerink kept the Saints off the scoreboard the rest of the way, with a little help from junior Tim Weissman (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) in the second minute of the first overtime period.

First, Mengerink came out to the top of the penalty area to stop a shot by Thomas More's Kyle Troutman. But the ball bounced right to the Saints' Brad Baumer, who appeared to end the game with a chipped shot toward the Tigers' net. Weissman recovered just in time, however, clearing the ball off the end line and out of harm's way in most improbable fashion.

Thomas More, annually one of the top teams in the President's Athletic Conference, saw the Tigers score a goal on one of just two shots directed on the Saints' net. The equalizer came at the 48-minute mark as senior Marshall Rowland (Pewee Valley, Ky./South Oldham) took a free kick from about 30 yards out that skidded into the penalty area and somehow found the inside of the far post.

Rowland was credited with both Wittenberg shots on goal in the game as the Tigers moved to 2-0-1 heading into a busy weekend at the Wilmington Kiwanis Classic. Wittenberg will square off with Muskingum at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, and then take on the host Quakers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8.