Ohio Wesleyan 5, Otterbein 0

Sept. 19, 2007

Senior midfielder Nick Skoczen (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) collected a goal and 2 assists and freshman forward Tyler Wall (Columbus/Upper Arlington) added a goal and an assist to lead a season-best offensive output in Ohio Wesleyan's non-conference win over Otterbein on Wednesday at Roy Rike Field.

The 22nd-ranked Bishops were firing on all cylinders in the game, testing Cardinal keeper David Timko early and often.

Skoczen helped put the Bishops on the scoreboard in the fourth minute, blasting a shot from the right side. Timko blocked the shot, but the ball caromed back to the left side and freshman midfielder Chad Baker (Dublin/Jerome) put a follow shot just inside the left post to give Ohio Wesleyan a 1-0 lead.

Freshman forward Tyler Bryant (Chillicothe/Unioto) had a pair of shots in the next 5 minutes, picking up a loose ball in the Otterbein end and sending a shot across the goal mouth, then hitting a header off a centering pass from sophomore midfielder Will Murawski (Alpharetta, Ga./Westerville North) that Timko stopped to preserve the 1-0 margin. Timko then saved shots by Skoczen, Bryant and sophomore midfielder Jordan Halloran (Springfield/Catholic Central) during the next 15 minutes to keep it at 1-0.

Skoczen increased the Ohio Wesleyan lead to 2-0 in the 29th minute. Wall sent the ball out to the right wing, and Skoczen squeezed off a quick shot that beat the Cardinal defense.

The first half saw the Bishops take 19 shots at the Cardinal goal, with Timko credited with 9 saves.

Otterbein's first good scoring chance came in the 58th minute when John-Mark Mocas got his head on a crossing pass, but senior Jamison Dague (Bexley) tracked down the ball to keep the shutout intact. The Cardinals' Matt Weiss followed with a shot off a restart in the 61st minute, but it sailed over the crossbar.

Ohio Wesleyan stretched its lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute as freshman back Eric Laipple (Westerville/South) centered the ball to Bryant. Bryant tapped the ball back to Wall, who finished the chance from inside the Cardinal box.

Five minutes later, Skoczen sent a crossing pass to sophomore midfielder Phil Serfaty (Dublin/Jerome), who headed the ball home to make it 4-0.

Ohio Wesleyan wrapped up the night's scoring when freshman back Brian Greene (Beavercreek) sent a long ball ahead to junior forward Todd Ufferman (Delaware/Hayes), who ran it down and put a one-touch shot into the back of the net.

Ohio Wesleyan outshot Otterbein, 31-9. Dague and senior Xander Jones (Pomfret, Conn./Pomfret School) each made 2 saves for Ohio Wesleyan. Timko had 9 saves in the first half and David Dziedzicki had 1 save in the second half for Otterbein.

Box Score