Box Score Ohio Wesleyan 2, Hiram 0Sophomore forward Kyle Baum (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and freshman midfielder David Robinett (Cincinnati/Indian Hill) scored second-half goals to give 17th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan a North Coast Athletic Conference victory over Hiram on Saturday in Hiram.
The win clinched the NCAC championship for Ohio Wesleyan. The NCAC crown is Ohio Wesleyan's seventh straight, 10th in the last 11 years, and 23rd overall in the 31 seasons of NCAC competition.
Ohio Wesleyan will be the No. 1 seed in next week's NCAC tournament and will host fourth-seeded DePauw in a tournament semifinal game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex.
Senior forward Colton Bloecher (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) and Baum tested Hiram keeper Luke Wilhelm in the early going, with Bloecher firing a shot in the seventh minute and Baum another in the 11th minute, only to see Wilhelm make the save on both.
Midway through the first half, senior goalkeeper Colin Beemiller (Pickerington/North) kept the scoreless deadlock going with a save on a header by Hiram's Zac Cairns.
Ohio Wesleyan had a 7-2 advantage in shots during the period, but that edge did not translate to the scoreboard.
The Bishops took care of that with their first shot of the second half. Junior forward Matt Cohen (Cincinnati/Seven Hills) passed the ball into the box, and Baum beat Wilhelm with a shot to the left post.
Beemiller preserved the lead with a save of a shot by Hiram's Richie Webb in the 65th minute, and the Bishop defense blocked another shot by Webb just over a minute later.
Ohio Wesleyan added an insurance goal in the 74th minute when Bloecher sent the ball into the box to Robinett, who beat Wilhelm with a shot to the lower right corner.
Junior midfielder Brian Schaefer (Chatham, N.J.) had a look at the Hiram goal in the 80th minute, but Wilhelm was there for the save to keep Hiram in the game.
The Terriers had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the 86th minute, but Bemiller denied another shot by Webb to keep the score at 2-0.
Ohio Wesleyan outshot Hiram, 15-7. Beemiller finished with 3 saves in posting the shutout, the sixth in the last 8 games for the Bishop defense. Wilhelm made 3 saves in the Hiram goal.
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