Ohio Wesleyan 4, Wittenberg 3

Oct. 6, 2007

Freshman attacker Lilly Jianas (Shawnee Mission, Kan./Pembroke Hill) scored the game-winning goal with :05 left in the first overtime period to lift Ohio Wesleyan over Wittenberg in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday at Selby Field.

Ohio Wesleyan had the ball in its own end with about 20 seconds remaining, and the Bishops flew upfield. Jianas got the ball on the left side of the cage and fired a shot at Wittenberg keeper Liana Began. Began made the save, but Jianas jumped on the rebound and poked it into the back of the Tiger cage to end the game with 5 seconds left in the first extra session.

The Bishop defense had kept the game alive earlier in the extra session, twice thwarting Wittenberg phenom Boo Vernon. Vernon, who had 2 goals and an assist during regulation time, had a breakaway midway through the overtime period, but Ohio Wesleyan keeper Katie Jones (Katie Jones (Pine Plains, N.Y./Stissing Mountain) made a sprawling save of Vernon's first shot and junior defender Emily Molchan (East Northport, N.Y./Northport) cleared Vernon's follow shot away from the Ohio Wesleyan cage.

Vernon had another run toward the Ohio Wesleyan goal with just under 3 minutes left in the overtime period, but again, Jones stopped the first shot and this time, it was freshman attacker Christa Cocumelli (Dublin/Bishop Watterson) who cleared the second shot to keep the Bishops alive.

Ohio Wesleyan sent the game into overtime with a score in the closing minutes of regulation time. Cocumelli sent the ball across from the right side to junior midfielder Tara Porter (Chicago, IL/Berkshire (MA) School), who zipped a shot past Began to tie the game at 3-3 with 1:55 remaining.

Wittenberg took an early 1-0 lead when Vernon launched a rocket from the right side into the left side of the Ohio Wesleyan cage.

The Bishops tied the game midway through the first half after an Ohio Wesleyan penalty corner. Junior midfielder Shannon McHenry (Powell/Rancho Buena Vista (Calif.)) launched a shot that Began stopped, but Jianas was there to knock the rebound into the Wittenberg goal.

Vernon gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with 6:59 left in the first half, running a give-and-go with teammate Alison Voigt. Vernon passed off to Voigt on the left side, took off for the goal, fielded the return pass and found the back of the cage.

Ohio Wesleyan evened the game midway through the second half as freshman attacker Caiti Goodman (Washington, D.C./Bethesda-Chevy Chase (Md.) bounced a crossing pass in from the right side across to freshman midfielder Jessica Wright (Lancaster), who scored from right in front of the Wittenberg cage to even the game at 2-2.

Wittenberg re-took the lead with 7:23 left in regulation time when Vernon sent the ball in from the left end line to Caroline Mason, who finished in front of the Ohio Wesleyan cage for a 3-2 Tiger lead.

Wittenberg outshot Ohio Wesleyan, 21-13. Jones finished with 9 saves in the Ohio Wesleyan goal. Began had 5 saves in the Tiger cage.

Box Score