Ohio Wesleyan 4, Alma 0

Sept. 9, 2007

Senior midfielder Nick Skoczen (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and sophomore midfielder Jordan Halloran (Springfield/Catholic Central) scored first-half goals and freshman forward Tyler Bryant (Chillicothe/Unioto) added a pair of second-half goals as 12th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan defeated Alma in the second round of the annual adidas® Invitational on Sunday. The game, originally scheduled for Saturday night at Roy Rike Field, was postponed because of lengthy thunderstorms and was rescheduled for Sunday at Wellington School in Columbus.

The Bishops jumped on top quickly. Alma was called for a hand ball just outside the box in the fourth minute of play, and Skoczen converted the ensuing direct kick for a 1-0 lead.

Alma had a chance to tie the game in the 15th minute when Dan Laatz fired a shot from the top of the box, but Bishop keeper Xander Jones (Pomfret, Conn./Pomfret School) went up and batted the ball over the crossbar.

The Fighting Scots had another chance with a direct kick in the 20th minute, but again Jones was there for the save.

Halloran gave the Bishops a 2-0 lead midway through the first half when he settled the ball inside the box, turned and fired a shot past Fighting Scot keeper Anthony Bergstrom.

Ohio Wesleyan added a goal exactly 10 minutes into the second half. Freshman forward Tyler Wall (Columbus/Upper Arlington) blasted a shot from the right side, but Alma keeper Jon Nowak stopped the drive. The ball bounced over the left side, and freshman midfielder Chad Baker (Dublin/Jerome) fired a shot which was stopped by an Alma defender. Bryant then pounced on the loose ball and finished from point-blank range for a 3-0 Bishop lead.

Bryant increased the Ohio Wesleyan lead to 4-0 in the 72nd minute, coming up with the ball after an Alma turnover, juking around a Fighting Scot defender in the box and firing into the right side of the goal.

The Fighting Scots' best chance came in the 78th minute on another direct kick. Jones was there for the stop, and Alma's Jeff Beck was there for the rebound, but Jones blocked Beck's shot and grabbed the ball to preserve the shutout.

Ohio Wesleyan outshot Alma, 29-6. Jones went the distance in the Bishop goal, stopping all 6 Alma shots. Bergstrom had 7 saves in the first half and Nowak had 6 saves in the second half for the Fighting Scots.

Box Score