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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein got itself back into the win column Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium, slipping past visiting Hanover by a 1-0 count in yet another matchup on the schedule of returning NCAA teams.

The Cardinals, who made the second round last year, used a goal from All-American Will Isaac just 14 seconds before halftime and kept the Panthers off the board following intermission to secure the shutout. Otterbein improves to 3-1 as a result.

Hanover, defending champions of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), made the NCAA Sweet 16 last year en route to a 15-5-2 record. This time around, however, the Panthers played a man-down almost the entire way…

HOW IT PLAYED OUT:

Less than three minutes into the match, Hanover senior defender Keegan Marx was issued straight red card after a slide tackle took down Silver Abraham before a prime scoring opportunity at the top of the box. The Panthers would be forced to compete with just 10 the remainder of the night.

Mark Wischmeyer had a free kick from just inches outside the box bounce off a wall of individuals, but the Cardinals kept pushing forward throughout the first half. Otterbein saw a flurry of shots in the 35th minute during a corner kick, where Jacob Irani's initial rip was stopped by a defender and another two were blocked.

Carter Ely then found space down the left side minutes later, but his shot toward the far post sailed just wide and out of play.

Otterbein finally broke through in the final minute of the first half. Wischmeyer played a ball into the box for a charging Ely, but Hanover keeper Luciano Salemi punched it back out near the top of the box. Isaac was there to quickly loft it over Salemi's head before he could retreat back into the net.

The Cardinals held majority of possession in the second half as well, manufacturing a few quality shots (chip from Drew Holman and header by Nathan Neal) but ultimately not finding an insurance goal.

Nevertheless, Otterbein's defense shut down a few potential opportunities late beat Hanover for the second-straight year.

STAT CHECK:

• The testy and physical matchup featured seven total cards, including a pair of reds for the Panthers. Otterbein was also cautioned three times and 19 combined fouls were whistled.
   
• The Cards finished with a commanding 25-1 shot advantage, including a 10-0 mark on goal.
   
• Salemi made nine saves in the visitor net, doing his best to try and keep his squad within striking distance.
   
• Isaac has now scored in three of four matches this season, and currently leads the club at nine points.

 
IT'S THE WEEKEND:

Otterbein stays at home to conclude the week, hosting Transylvania as the second match of a doubleheader at 5 p.m.