Box Score
Photo Gallery
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein University scored the first two goals of the match, but Ohio Northern University battled back and eventually escaped with a 3-2 double overtime win Tuesday in men's soccer action at Clements Field.
The Cardinals fall to 6-7 overall and 1-3 in Ohio Athletic Conference play with the loss, while the Polar Bears, ranked 20th in the most recent national poll, improve to 11-3 this season and 3-1 in the league.
"I'm disappointed with the result, but definitely not with the performance of our players," Otterbein head coach Gerry D'Arcy said. "We played very well against one of the better teams in the country today. It was a tough way to lose, but hopefully we can carry this type of play throughout the rest of our schedule."
Otterbein saw the better of the scoring opportunities early on, but the match remained scoreless through the opening 37 minutes. The Cardinals cashed in just before halftime when freshman Jonathan Boardman maneuvered through the Polar Bear defense and slid a shot into the lower right portion of the goal.
The Cardinals pushed the lead to 2-0 minutes into the second half after a slight Ohio Northern miscue. Polar Bear keeper Evan Bader attempted to clear the ball, but Otterbein's Evan Fallon deflected the ball as Bader was then found out of position. Junior Jared Pulliam stormed in to hit a shot from 30 yards out that rolled into the open net.
The Polar Bears continued to press, with Otterbein goalkeeper Kyle Ripma and the defense attempting to hold strong.
ONU finally got on the scoreboard in the 78th minute on a goal from Ryan Prescott, and evened the match with less than three minutes remaining after a free kick from Jeremy Barnes skidded through a crowded box and ultimately through the arms of Ripma.
Both teams played to a scoreless 10 minutes in the first overtime session, but Northern leading-scorer Matt Kinkopf tallied the game-winner just 1:06 into the second OT period after a pass from David Janusz found his feet in the middle of the box. Kinkopf's shot hit the left post and ricocheted into the goal to end the match.
Otterbein had a 9-3 shot advantage in the first half, but ONU found its offensive stride in out-shooting the Cards 19-3 from there on out. ONU took eight corner kicks compared to the Cardinals' four.
Ripma tallied many key stops throughout and finished with ten saves, while Bader had three in the net for the visitors.
Otterbein finishes out the week on the road, traveling to take on Heidelberg University Saturday afternoon. Start time from Tiffin is set for 3:30 p.m.
