Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 13, North Central 12

by Tony Carter '24

Sophomore attacker Spencer Amacher (Blacksburg, Va./Blue Ridge School) collected a goal and 2 assists during a 6-0 run that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and the Bishops held off a last-minute comeback to defeat North Central in non-conference action on Saturday at Selby Stadium.

After a goal by the Cardinals' Gavin Rieger broke a 7-7 halftime tie and put the visitors in front, freshman midfielder Garrett Smith (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) collected his third goal of the game, courtesy of an Amacher assist, with 10:38 left in the period.  Senior midfielder Jared Friesen (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Trabuco Hills) quickly added a goal with 9:45 left to play in the third, and Amacher then set up a goal by freshman attacker Will Siegenthaler (Elmhurst, Ill./York) before scores by freshman attacker Xander Craven (Franklinville, N.C./Greensboro Day School), Amacher, and senior attacker Vincent Leonardi (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) gave Ohio Wesleyan a 13-8 lead.

The Cardinals countered in the fourth.  Attacker Nick Rubino scored early in the period, midfielder Jack Moran scored a man-up goal with 5:08 left, and attacker Tom Eberhardt scored to cut the deficit to 13-11 with 2:11 left in regulation time.

Freshman midfielder Noah Citek (Long Beach, Calif./St. John Bosco) won the ensuing face-off, but North Central got the ball back and Rubino scored with :38 to play to make it a 13-12 game.

Citek again won the ensuing face-off, and the Bishops used 30 seconds of the remaining time.  North Central's Trenton Herubin forced a turnover with :08 remaining, but the Cardinals were not able to clear the ball and get off a shot at the tying goal.

Smith had 2 goals to help Ohio Wesleyan build an early 5-1 lead, but the Cardinals responded swiftly in the second. With the help of two goals from Moran, the visitors tied the game 7-7, going into halftime.

Garrett Smith led the way for the Bishops with a hat trick.  Amacher finished with 2 goals and 2 assists, and Siegenthaler added 2 goals.  Senior Carl Mazabras (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) made 4 saves in the first half, and sophomore Nathan George (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) made 4 saves in the second half.

Box Score