http://www.allegheny.edu
Soccer Falls to Ohio Wesleyan
November 5, 2005
DELAWARE, Ohio – The Allegheny College men’s soccer team (8-8-4) fell to the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan (20-0) tonight in the NCAC Championship game by a score of 3-0. Two scores in the first 13 minutes of the game were too much for the Gators to overcome, as Ohio Wesleyan remained undefeated on its way to the NCAA tournament.
The scoring started in the fifth minute, as Ohio Wesleyan’s Jeff Fisher put the ball past Gator keeper Brian Manougian (Rye, N.H./ Portsmouth). Just seven minutes later the Battling Bishops upped their lead to 2-0, as Fisher found the netting a second time. A goal by Kevin Lehman in minute thirty-nine gave Ohio Wesleyan a 3-0 lead at the half, and marked the final score of the contest.
For the game, Ohio Wesleyan outshot Allegheny 20-11, and had a 6-4 advantage in corner kicks. Manougian made six saves, as did Jamison Dague, his Ohio Wesleyan counterpart.
Ohio Wesleyan was the number two ranked team in the country (NSCAA/Adidas National Rankings) headed into the conference finals, and returns to the NCAA tournament after missing it last year for just the third time in the last 29 seasons. The Battling Bishops are ranked second to Messiah, the team that knocked the Gators out of the tournament in the round of 16 in the 2004 NCAA tournament.
The Blue and Gold head into the offseason knowing they will graduate six seniors, four of whom are starters. Experience returns, however, with a half dozen freshmen and sophomore starters coming back for 2006. The team’s top goal scorer from the season, Alan Carr (Blairstown, N.J./ Blair Academy), will also be back to help lead the Gators.