Ohio Wesleyan 0, Wittenberg 0

Oct. 31, 2007

Senior midfielder Nick Skoczen (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) hit the deciding penalty kick as Ohio Wesleyan advanced to the championship game of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament by outscoring Wittenberg on penalty kicks, 5-3, after the teams played to a scoreless tie in NCAC tournament semifinal action on Wednesday at Roy Rike Field.

Ohio Wesleyan will host Allegheny in the NCAC tournament championship game at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Roy Rike Field. Allegheny also advanced on penalty kicks after a scoreless tie, with the Gators eliminating conference champion Kenyon on Wednesday. The winner of Saturday's tournament championship game will receive the NCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament.

The Bishops went first in the shootout, and freshman forward Tyler Wall (Columbus/Upper Arlington) converted his kick for an early 1-0 lead, which held up when Wittenberg's Matt Borland sent his kick over the crossbar. Sophomore midfielder Will Murawski (Alpharetta, Ga./Westerville North) hit his kick, but Wittenberg's Shane Price countered with a successful kick to keep the Tigers within 2-1.

Sophomore midfielder Jordan Halloran (Springfield/Catholic Central) and Wittenberg's Matt Fleissner traded successful kicks, as did freshman back Eric Laipple (Westerville/South) and Wittenberg's Joe Zeller.

That brought Skoczen to the spot with Ohio Wesleyan holding a 4-3 lead, and Skoczen's kick was successful, ending the shootout and sending the Bishops into Saturday's tournament final.

Both teams had chances in the opening minutes of regulation time, Wittenberg first when Price's shot from the top of the box was snared by Bishop keeper Jamison Dague (Columbus/Bexley), and then Ohio Wesleyan when freshman back Brian Greene (Beavercreek) had his header off a corner kick saved by Wittenberg keeper Ben McAnnis-Entenman.

Both teams also survived potentially costly mistakes in the early going. In the eighth minute, Greene sent a long ball up the middle toward the Wittenberg goal. McAnnis-Entenman, who had drifted out of the penalty area, saw freshman forward Tyler Bryant (Chillicothe/Unioto) coming on at full speed and started to reach down to pick up the ball. McAnnis-Entenman then realized where he was on the field and let the ball go by, but before Bryant could catch up with the ball, Tiger defender Anthony Ianiro came in from the right side and cleared it away from the unprotected goal.

Less than 2 minutes later, the Tigers had a restart in the Ohio Wesleyan end. The ball was sent over to Zeller, who was unmarked on the right side, but his wide-open shot was stopped by Dague to preserve the scoreless tie.

Later in the half, Michael Condon had his 25-yard shot stopped by Dague, and in the 43rd minute, Wall fielded a through ball from Halloran and had an open look, but McAnnis-Entenman made a diving save of Wall's flick toward the goal.

Freshman midfielder Chad Baker (Dublin/Jerome) had the Bishops' best chance of the second half, when his shot after a run into the box was stopped by Ben McAnnis-Entenman.

The Tigers had a pair of shots from Price, but Dague saved the first one and the second one, a header off an entry pass from Condon, was high.

Price and Borland had good chances during the first overtime period, with Price nudging a ball just outside the right post in the 92nd minute and Borland's shot from a crowd in the 99th minute stopped by Dague at the left post.

Both keepers made a save during the second overtime, McAnnis-Entenman in the 104th minute after Wall had worked his way open in the box, and Dague in the 109th minute when Justin Jenkins ripped a shot off a restart about 25 yards away.

Both teams collected 13 shots. Dague finished with 6 saves for Ohio Wesleyan, while McAnnis-Entenman had 6 saves for the Tigers.

Box Score