DELAWARE, Ohio – The Ohio Wesleyan University women's soccer team (2-3-2, 0-0-0 NCAC) hosted Heidelberg on Saturday afternoon. Following a weather delay that pushed back kickoff by an hour, the Battling Bishops netted a goal in the first 15 minutes and stood strong for the remaining 75 to secure the 1-0 victory.
It was a slow start for both sides as there were no scoring chances until around the 10-minute mark. OWU began to put the pressure on shortly thereafter with three shots on target, prompting three saves from Heidelberg.
It was the fourth shot on goal that made the difference in the 14th minute as
Maddy McCaster broke through to give the Bishops a 1-0 lead.
Payton Beard got the play started with a long ball over the top that found McCaster in stride. From there, McCaster took the keeper head one, winning the 1-on-1 with a smooth shot into the bottom right.
There were six scoring chances in the remainder of the half, five for Ohio Wesleyan and one for Heidelberg. All six were fruitless as halftime came and went at 1-0.
The pace of play picked up in the second half as the Battling Bishops searched for a some insurance and the Student Princes searched for an equalizer. The Red and Black had a handful of legitimate attempts but were kept out of the net by seven saves from the Student Princes.
On the other side, Heidelberg recorded five shots on goal in the latter 45. Beard kept the net clean on all five, including a nice snag out of the top left corner in the 83rd minute to secure the 1-0 clean sheet victory.
THE NUMBERS
Ohio Wesleyan tied their season high of attempts with 20 shots, putting a season-high 12 on target. Heidelberg had 10 shots with six on target. OWU was awarded eight corners compared to four for the Student Princes. The Red and Black recorded six saves in contrast to 11 for Heidelberg.
Maddy McCaster scored her first career goal.
Payton Beard (1-1) recorded her first complete-game shutout with a career-high six saves in 90 minutes. She also recorded her first career assist.
UP NEXT
The Battling Bishops have a quick turnaround, traveling Marietta tomorrow for a 4 p.m. kickoff.
