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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – An instant classic between two nationally-ranked (and unbeaten) teams from Central Ohio played out in the rain Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium, leading to a very entertaining 2-2 draw for those in attendance or tuning in elsewhere.

Ohio Wesleyan, ranked No. 8 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, held a late lead before Otterbein, entering No. 19 nationally, forced a pair of extra sessions and eventual stalemate.

The Cardinals now stand 5-0-1 this fall while the Battling Bishops move to 5-0-2. Both sides resumed their non-conference series after missing one another last school year due to the pandemic.

This 2021 version morphed into an instant classic, beginning early in the sixth minute as Gabe Sharrock won possession near the attacking box. He fed a quick pass over to Will Isaac, who promptly delivered a one-timer with his left foot that snuck in the far post.

Ohio Wesleyan became the aggressors from there, seeing a few chances on set pieces before securing an equalizer on a brotherly sequence. Hector Gomez slipped a pass through the Cardinal defense to Cristian Gomez, who finished in one motion and tied the match.

Both sides jockeyed for position as the second half progressed, until OWU jumped ahead in the 74th minute when Gomez smoothly curved in a free kick with his left foot.

Down but not out, Otterbein admirably stayed the course and remained patient despite the clock dwindling. The Cards nearly tied the score in the 80th minute off a free kick, but Bishop goalkeeper Mason Taylor punched an incoming ball over the crossbar with his off-hand.

The equalizer would come, just a few minutes later. Isaac took a pass up the far sideline from Mark Wischmeyer in the closing minutes and blasted a shot home at the 85:48 mark, warranting a sliding celebration with his teammates near the home bench.

Neither side could break through in the overtime periods, although Ohio Wesleyan saw a pair of up-close looks in crunch time. Otterbein keeper Andrew McIlvoy made a crucial stop in the 104th minute, and a Gomez shot sailed high moments after that.

OWU finished with a 21-9 shot advantage, but Otterbein did see multiple free kicks that didn't make the official box score. The contest saw a combined 35 fouls throughout and a pair of yellow cards.

Otterbein will look to recover across the next 48 hours before heading up to Michigan for a Saturday afternoon contest with Adrian College. First kick is slated for 3 p.m.