Box Score Calvin 2, Ohio Wesleyan 1Junior forward Kyle Baum (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) gave 16th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan an early lead, but top-ranked Calvin scored a pair of second-half goals to defeat the Bishops in a second-round contest of the NCAA Division III tournament on Saturday at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex.
The Bishops connected on the first shot of the game, that coming in the ninth minute. After a Calvin foul, Ohio Wesleyan had a free kick and senior forward Brian Schaefer (Chatham, N.J.) sent the ball in to the penalty area, where Baum redirected the ball into the back of the Calvin goal.
Just over a minute later, Baum fired a 20-yard shot that got over Calvin keeper Niko Giantsopoulos but hit the crossbar, and in the 13th minute, Baum split a pair of Knight defenders, broke to the Calvin goal, and chipped a shot over an onrushing Giantsopoulos only to see it go just over the crossbar.
In the 14th minute, Ohio Wesleyan had a free kick and the ball rattled around the penalty area before finding its way to freshman forward Will Sharer (Avon). Sharer launched a shot that Giantsopoulos saved, and the rebound went to junior midfielder Phoenix Neitzelt (Delaware/Hayes), whose follow shot was high.
Calvin nearly got the equalizer on its first shot of the game. The Knights had a corner kick and Taylor Pruis headed the ball toward the left post, but senior midfielder Gunnar Bloecher (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) was guarding the post and headed the ball away.
Schaefer had a look at the Calvin goal early in the second half, but his shot between 2 defenders was stopped by Giantsopoulos.
Pruis fired a shot in the 63rd minute that hit the left post, and Mitch Stark got to the rebound, but junior goalkeeper Ben Farynowski (Grandview Heights) made the save.
The Knights evened the score in the 69th minute when Stark centered the ball from the left end line to Stephan Hooker, who scored from in front with 21:39 left in regulation time.
Three minutes later, Calvin earned a corner kick, and Stark sent the ball to the goal mouth, where Pruis headed it home to give the Knights the lead.
Ohio Wesleyan manufactured a few chances at the equalizer, but Neitzelt had a shot go wide of the left post in the 81st minute, and after a free kick near midfielder was sent into the Calvin penalty area, senior forward Matt Cohen (Cincinnati/Seven Hills) was open on the right side but sent a shot wide.
"I'm disappointed," said Bishop head coach Jay Martin. "We played a very, very good first half, and I thought we were in control of the game, but like at Kenyon last week, during the second half we didn't play as well.
"During the last week, we've lost two games versus top-5 teams. We were right there this year. A couple of costly injuries hurt us, but overall, we had a pretty good year."
Ohio Wesleyan outshot Calvin, 13-12. Farynowski finished with 4 saves for Ohio Wesleyan, while Giantsopoulos had 3 saves for Calvin.
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