DELAWARE, Ohio – A testy, physical and meaningful battle with a nearby foe unfortunately dropped the Otterbein men's soccer team back to 2-2-2 on the season Wednesday afternoon, as the Cardinals fell just short in a non-conference battle at Ohio Wesleyan.

The Cardinals, helping renew the nearby rivalry after OWU cancelled last year's meeting due to field conditions, tried to erase a two-goal deficit in the second half but ran out of time in a 2-1 decision for the home side at Jay Martin Soccer Complex.

Otterbein put some pressure on Ohio Wesleyan (4-2-1) early in the match, with shots on target from Will Isaac and Gavin Miriello saved by Bishop keeper Mason Taylor.

OWU found an edge on the scoreboard shortly after in the 30th minute when Christopher Guerra won a loose ball in the box and converted a bicycle kick into the net. The Cards had a pair of corner kicks just before the break but came up empty.

Isaac was carded early in the second half and Ohio Wesleyan generated more momentum with a double-up goal, as Landon Kuhn nailed a shot from just over 20 yards out.

The Cardinals eagerly pressed forward after that with little choice, and sliced the deficit in half after making a handful of substitutions at the 75:00 mark. Roughly 30 seconds later, OWU committed a foul in the box and Nick Isaac stepped up to bury the penalty kick.

Otterbein manufactured three more corners down the stretch but unfortunately to no avail, and a shot from Mark Wischmeyer with under a minute left was blocked by the Bishop defense.

The Cards held a 10-4 edge in corner kicks overall while OWU ended with a slight 12-9 margin in total shots. The battle featured a combined 23 fouls and four yellow cards. Casey Thompson made four saves in the visitor net.

Otterbein will get right back on the bus this weekend to continue a road trip, heading over to Hanover College for a Saturday afternoon clash in The Hoosier State. First kick there is slated for 1 p.m.