Wooster 4, Ohio Wesleyan 3

Sept. 30, 2009

Sophomore attacker Macie Miller (Kettering/Fairmont) scored to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 4-3, but Wooster withstood a last-minute Bishop threat and escaped with a North Coast Athletic Conference win on Wednesday at Selby Field.

Ohio Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead on a penalty stroke by junior attacker Christa Cocumelli (Dublin/Bishop Watterson) in the 23rd minute. The stroke was set up when a Wooster defender used her body to block a follow shot by sophomore attacker Mimi Anthony (Millbrook, N.Y./Millbrook School).

The first half would end with the Bishops holding that 1-0 lead, along with an 8-4 advantage in shots and a 6-5 edge in corners.

That would change quickly in the second half. Wooster attacked the Bishop cage early and was awarded a penalty stroke when an Ohio Wesleyan defender blocked a Fighting Scot shot, and Wooster's Amanda Artman converted the stroke to tie the game at 1-1 just 26 seconds into the period.

Artman also set up the go-ahead goal, finding Eileen Barrer inside the circle, with Barrer finishing the chance to give the Scots a 2-1 lead with 23:30 left in regulation time.

Wooster took a 3-1 lead on a breakaway goal by Barrer less than 2 minutes later. Artman started the play with a long diagonal pass which glanced off a Bishop defender in the middle of the field. Barrer was able to pick up the ball in stride and was off on the breakaway and a 3-1 Wooster lead.

Ohio Wesleyan closed the gap to 3-2 when Cocumelli picked up a loose ball on the right side of the Wooster cage, drove left, and fired a shot past Fighting Scot keeper Madalyn Myers midway through the second half.

Artman struck again, however, sending the ball to Maddie Hart for a goal just 11 seconds later to restore the Scots' 2-goal lead.

Cocumelli also figured in the Bishops' third goal, firing a shot that Myers stopped, with Miller there to pounce on the rebound to make it a 4-3 game with 4:38 left in regulation time.

The Bishops rallied in the final minute, with junior attacker Lilly Jianas (Shawnee Mission, Kan./Pembroke Hill) driving in for a shot only to see Myers range out of the cage to play the ball, deflecting it wide. Ohio Wesleyan got a penalty corner on the play, but the Bishops could not get off a shot at the tying goal.

Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster each took 14 shots. Senior Krista Murray (Rochester Hills, Mich./University Liggett) had 6 saves for Ohio Wesleyan, while Myers finished with 7 saves for Wooster.

Box Score