WESTERVILLE, Ohio - Otterbein secured first-half goals from
Silver Abraham,
Carter Ely, and
Mark Wischmeyer Saturday evening to provide a nice cushion, as the Cardinals played from ahead and later finished out a gritty 3-1 matchup against Transylvania.
The Cardinals beat the Pioneers for a fourth-straight meeting, outscoring Transy 10-2 during the stretch. The Cardinals were only able to finish one of their 25 shots against Hanover on Wednesday but, this time around, capitalized more on the attacks.
HOW IT WENT DOWN:
- Just two minutes into the match, Jacob Irani fired a shot that ricocheted off a defender and landed at the feet of Silver Abraham. He quickly finished the job and placed the ball between the posts, granting Otterbein the early lead.
- Continuing to build off that momentum, Otterbein earned its second goal of the match when Mark Wischmeyer sent a long ball to Carter Ely. The agile junior placed a great touch on the ball while at top speed to tap the ball right past Pioneer keeper Collen Gudorf.
- Whischmeyer wasn't fully satisfied with just his assist and decided to put a goal of his own on the scoreboard. During the 24th minute, a free kick presented an opportunity to bury a shot in the upper right corner of the goal, further solidifying Otterbein's lead.
- The Pioneers didn't go home scoreless and found the back of the net late during the second half. Within the 18-yard box, a first attempt shot from Max Deckop bounced around till Jake Veague quickly sent the ball straight past the hands of Jackson Weber.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The Cardinals out-shot the Pioneers 12-7, but the Pioneers only had two less shots landing on frame in comparison.
- Both teams won equal attempts to score on set pieces, attempting four corner kicks each.
- The gritty contest produced a total of 31 committed fouls, split almost even with Otterbein perpetrating just one more than Transylvania at 16 (compared to the Pioneers 15).
- Otterbein tried a variety of different combinations, subbing a total of 12 men onto the pitch. Among those subs, Weber took his first stance in goal for the Cardinals.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Otterbein will travel to Delaware for a mid-week matchup against the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday the 21st.
