Ohio Wesleyan 3, Carnegie Mellon 0

Nov. 15, 2008

Freshman forward Matt Bonfini (Dublin/Coffman) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal and junior midfielder Phil Serfaty (Dublin/Jerome) added a pair of insurance scores as Ohio Wesleyan defeated Carnegie Mellon in a second round matchup of the NCAA Division III tournament on Saturday at Roy Rike Field.

Ohio Wesleyan advances to face the winner of Sunday night's game between Trinity (Texas) and Texas-Tyler in a 4-team sectional tournament to be held Nov. 21-22 or Nov. 22-23 on the campus of one of the participating institutions. Sectional game times, dates and sites will be announced on Monday.

With day-long rain showers turning to snow, field conditions were slick and the first 10 minutes of play showed that, with action going back and forth with few scoring opportunities generated while the players found their footing.

Carnegie Mellon came up with the first good scoring chance, with the Tartans awarded a restart about 30 yards away from the Ohio Wesleyan goal. Ryan Browne sent a shot toward the goal that Bishop keeper Richard Ott (Norwalk) batted over the line, and Carnegie Mellon was unable to get off a shot on the ensuing corner kick.

Sophomore forward Tyler Wall (Columbus/Upper Arlington) set up Ohio Wesleyan's first dangerous chance, making a run into the Carnegie Mellon end and sending a diagonal pass to Bonfini, whose shot from the right side found the back of the net for a 1-0 Bishop lead in the 19th minute.

The Bishops struck again late in the first half when freshman midfielder Travis Wall (Columbus/Upper Arlington) centered the ball from the right end line. Tartan keeper Matthew Bazin left his line to break up the play, but the ball skidded off his gloves and Serfaty scored into the open net for a 2-0 Ohio Wesleyan lead with 2:29 left in the period.

Ott preserved the shutout in the final minute of the first half, grabbing Browne's header off a corner kick near the right post, then denied Carnegie Mellon's Daniel Brackley on a shot early in the second half.

Serfaty finished off the scoring with a third-chance goal in the 72nd minute. Junior midfielder Will Murawski (Alpharetta, Ga./Westerville North) wound up from inside the box but his shot was blocked by a Tartan defender. Tyler Wall got the loose ball and ripped a shot that Bazin saved, and the loose ball rattled in the box before Serfaty got a foot on it and scored his second goal of the game.

Ott made an outstanding play to keep the shutout going in the 80th minute. Brackley fired a shot from the middle of the box that Ott batted up into the air. Brackley alertly followed his shot and headed the rebound toward the left post, but Ott dove to his right and made the save.

Ohio Wesleyan outshot Carnegie Mellon, 23-13. Ott finished with 6 saves for the Bishops, while Bazin made 11 saves for the Tartans.

Box Score