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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – It marked the second time in just eight days that Otterbein and Ohio Northern squared off AT Memorial Stadium, but much more was at stake this time around in the semifinals of the 2021 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament.

Both sides entered motivated after settling for a 2-2 draw in the regular-season matchup, which ultimately put Otterbein as the tournament's No. 2 seed and helped the Polar Bears earn the fourth spot.

The No. 9-ranked Cardinals found a way to win this rematch and stay undefeated, manufacturing a goal in the 56th minute and holding firm down the stretch en route to the 1-0 victory. As a result, Otterbein advances to Saturday's OAC Tournament Championship for the third time in five years. The opponent and site will be determined after the John Carroll/Capital semifinal.

Both sides saw a few chances throughout the first half. Ohio Northern (11-7-3) hit the crossbar early on before the Cards encountered a few up-close looks. Gabe Sharrock had a shot blocked, and so did Paul Hensley after some nice footwork in the box to fire off a rocket. Unfortunately, ONU's John Lombardo was there to make a point-blank save.

Otterbein (14-0-4) turned up the juice as the second half began and pushed forward, winning multiple set pieces. About 10 minutes in, Will Isaac curved a perfect corner kick toward a crowded box… where Lombardo and a Polar Bear defender did their best to clear it off the line. After Sharrock and Mark Wishchmeyer converged in the wild scrum, the ball ended up in the back of the next. Sharrock was credited with the goal upon review.

The Cardinals stayed gritty and won their share of 50-50 possession balls throughout the second half, sparked by the energy of Hensley and Carter Ely on the outside. Both won multiple opportunities to keep the momentum on the home side.

Otterbein eventually posted its ninth clean sheet of the season on a day that featured a combined 39 shots. Andrew McIlvoy made five saves in goal while Lombardo had eight for the visitors.

The Cards, also winning eight corner kicks on the day, will be playing for the OAC's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Championships this weekend. A loss would have Otterbein hoping/waiting on an at-large bid.