Box Score
Kenyon 2, Ohio Wesleyan 1

Senior forward Colton Bloecher (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) scored to give 15th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan an early 1-0 lead, but sixth-ranked Kenyon evened the game and then got the game-winner in overtime to escape with a win in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship game on Saturday at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex.

With the win, Kenyon receives the NCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament.  Ohio Wesleyan, still in the hunt for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, will find out its fate on Monday's tournament selection show.

Kenyon's Jordan Glassman had the first scoring chance of the game, sending a one-time shot off a centering pass over the Bishop goal.

Ohio Wesleyan fared better on its first chance, with junior midfielder Brian Schaefer (Chatham, N.J.) sending the ball from the right side to Bloecher in the penalty area, with Bloecher heading it home for a 1-0 Bishop lead in the seventh minute.

Senior goalkeeper Colin Beemiller (Pickerington/North) preserved the lead with 3 saves, first tipping a shot by Rei Mitsuyama over the crossbar, then tracking down a 30-yard shot off a restart by Jeremiah Barnes, and finally, stopping a shot by Grant Carney.

Junior midfielder Lonnie Barnes (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) nearly added to the Bishop lead in the 28th minute.  After a restart some 40 yards away from the Kenyon goal, Barnes' blast skipped through the penalty area to Lord keeper Sam Clougher, who made the save.

Kenyon evened the game in the 30th minute after a corner kick.  Nate Petrou sent the corner kick into the penalty area, Logan Ernst headed it toward the Bishop goal, and Woo Jeon headed it into the right side of the net to make it a 1-1 game.

Beemiller stopped a header by Kenyon's Henry Myers in the 38th minute, keeping the game at 1-1.

Ohio Wesleyan nearly took the lead early in the second half when Mitsuyama was assessed a yellow card just 8 seconds into the period.  Bloecher lined up for the free kick, but his drive hit the left post.

Schaefer had a chance in the 52nd minute, but Clougher was there for the save, and Bloecher's follow shot sailed high.

Midway through the second half, Clougher took a chance by coming far off his line to play a ball.  Sophomore forward Kyle Baum (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) got to the ball first, chipped it around Clougher, ran down the loose ball near the right end line, and sent a centering pass to freshman midfielder David Robinett (Cincinnati/Indian Hill), but the onrushing Robinett saw his header go wide left.

Baum had another chance in the 74th minute, but his shot from the middle off a Schaefer centering pass was blocked by the Kenyon defense.

The Bishops had another free kick opportunity when Ernst was assessed a yellow card in the 75th minute, but Bloecher's 25-yard shot hit the crossbar.

Baum broke in on the Kenyon goal in the 83rd minute, drawing a foul and a yellow card on Kenyon's Sam Justice, but Bloecher's 25-yard shot was high.

Ohio Wesleyan assembled a few chances during the final minutes of regulation time, but Bloecher's header off a Schaefer crossing pass was wide right with 2:45 to play.  Sophomore midfielder Nick Norman (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) had a shot saved by Clougher with 1:42 remaining, and Robinett's shot with :25 left was blocked.

Robinett kept the game alive midway through the overtime period, clearing the ball off the goal line after Kenyon's Edgar Arceo worked free for a shot after a Lord corner kick.

The game-winner came with 2:15 left in overtime when Dalton Eudy fielded a pass from the left side, whirled past a defender, and shot across to the right side of the goal.

"They were better than us tonight and deserved to win," said Bishop head coach Jay Martin.  "They played a good first half, we played a very good second half, but we had only four shots on goal, and that's not good enough.  We had our chances in the second half.

"They deserved it.  They're the tournament champions, and we're the regular-season champions, and that's how it is."

Kenyon outshot Ohio Wesleyan, 24-17.  Beemiller finished with 8 saves.  Clougher recorded 3 saves in the Kenyon goal.

Box Score