Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 3, Mount Union 1

Junior Christopher Guerra (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner early in the second half, as 23rd-ranked Ohio Wesleyan opened its season with a win over Mount Union in the Fred Myers Invitational on Friday at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex.

Guerra had staked the Bishops to a 1-0 lead midway through the first half.  An attempted clear by a Purple Raider defender wound up at the feet of Guerra, whose shot sliced off the right post and into the net.

Mount Union had a look at the equalizer in the 35th minute when Amir Spratt worked himself open inside the penalty area but saw his shot carry outside the left post.

The visitors pulled even just 24 seconds into the second half.  Alex Depperschmitt sent the ball up the right side and Spratt centered it from the right end line to Carter Hancock, who headed it home for the score.

Guerra again gave the Bishops the lead, this time in the 55th minute when he headed home a pass from senior forward Franklin Rodriguez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Berkshire (Mass.)).

Ohio Wesleyan added some insurance in the 71st minute as junior back Gabe O'Reilly (Westerville/Columbus St. Charles) sent the ball upfield to senior midfielder Drew Doza (Lexington, Ky./Dunbar), who played it ahead to sophomore forward Colin Callahan (Columbus/Bishop Hartley), who angled a shot inside the left post.

"They're a pretty good team.  They were fast and defended well," said Bishop head coach Jay Martin.  "What I liked best was the way we rebounded after that goal in the second half.  It could've gone south but we decided to win the game.  It was a great learning experience.  Obviously, Chris (Guerra) played well, Jaggar (Brooker) played well, and our freshmen, Alex Bucher and Logan Lewarchick, played well in a tough game.  Overall, I thought it was a good start to the season."

Ohio Wesleyan outshot Mount Union, 16-15.  Junior Sam Whitman (Baltimore, Md./Friends School of Baltimore) finished with 3 saves in the Bishop goal.

The Fred Myers Invitational has been one of the featured events on the Battling Bishops' schedule for more than 40 seasons.  It honors the memory of Fred Myers, the self-styled "grandfather" of Ohio soccer coaches who died of a heart attack in 1977, two weeks shy of his 51st birthday.  Myers took over the 2-year-old Ohio Wesleyan soccer program in 1957.  His 20 teams went on to fashion a .608 winning percentage and earn 8 trips to the NCAA playoffs.  Two squads stood out:  the 1963 team, which won the Mideast Region College Division championship, then the highest level of NCAA play; and the 1975 team, which finished third nationally, then Ohio Wesleyan's best finish ever.  In 8 years of Ohio Athletic Conference competition, Myers' squads won 4 championships and twice finished in second place.  Myers was named Ohio Coach of the Year in 1971 and 1973.

Box Score