Messiah Edges Ohio Wesleyan in Fred Myers Invitational
Senior forward Travis Wall scored to bring fifth-ranked Ohio Wesleyan within 2-1, but top-ranked Messiah withstood the Bishop rally to take a win in the first round of the annual Fred Myers Invitational on Friday at Roy Rike Field.
In Friday's opener, Hiram's Ty Smith scored midway through the second half to lift the Terriers over Hamline.
Hamline and Ohio Wesleyan will square off in the second round of the Fred Myers Invitational at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, to be preceded by Hiram against Messiah at 5 p.m.
Messiah jumped to an early lead in Friday's nightcap. The ball was played back to junior goalkeeper Paul Hendricks at the top of the penalty area, but Hendricks' clear attempt went right to the Falcons' Danny Thompson, who chipped the ball over Hendricks and into the goal 29 seconds into the action.
Ohio Wesleyan mustered a handful of good scoring chances during the first half, the best of which came midway during the period. In the 25th minute, sophomore forward Joe Beshara crossed the ball to senior midfielder Dylan Stone in the middle of the box. Stone settled the ball and launched a hard shot, but Falcon keeper Jake Berry got there for the save.
Two minutes later, Wall stole the ball and fed Beshara, who broke in one-on-one against Berry, but the Falcon netminder again made the play.
Wall had 3 good looks during the second half, getting off a hard shot that Berry grabbed in the 49th minute, fielding a through ball and firing a shot that Berry stopped in the 60th minute, and working a give-and-go that Berry sniffed out and made the save in the 68th minute.
Messiah added an insurance goal in the 78th minute when Josh Kremers crossed the ball from the left side to Jack Thompson, who found the back of the net to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead.
That goal would prove crucial when Wall found paydirt in the 86th minute, taking a centering pass from sophomore midfielder Matt Shadoan and driving a shot into the right side of the net.
Ohio Wesleyan had a final chance, earning a corner kick with less than 40 seconds left in regulation time, but the Bishops were not able to get a shot on goal.
Ohio Wesleyan outshot Messiah, 18-10. Hendricks finished with 4 saves in the Ohio Wesleyan goal, while Berry made 11 saves for the Falcons.
In Friday's first game, Hamline took a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute when Tyler Tallaksen pounced on a loose ball inside the Hiram penalty area and buried a shot into the Terrier net.
The Terriers evened the game late in the first half when Tyler Jones sent the ball into the box, Kamron Patterson played it on, and Ryan Minick finished from short range with 2:53 left in the period.
The game-winner came in the 73rd minute on a throw-in from the right side. Tyler Launder sent the ball into the penalty area, and it bounced to Ty Smith, whose header went just inside the left post to give Hiram the lead.
Hiram outshot Hamline, 21-18. Joe Rottinger had 3 saves for Hiram, while Spencer VonBehren recorded 7 stops for the Pipers.
The annual Fred Myers Invitational honors the self-styled "grandfather" of Ohio soccer coaches, who died of a heart attack in 1977. Myers coached the Battling Bishop soccer team from 1957-76, compiling a 133-82-21 record. Eight of his last 14 teams competed in the NCAA playoffs. Myers led the 1963 Bishops to the NCAA Mideast College Division championship, as far as the playoffs then progressed. His 1975 squad placed third in the NCAA Division III playoffs, then the highest finish ever for any Ohio Wesleyan team. In 8 years of Ohio Athletic Conference competition, Myers' squads won 4 titles and twice finished in second place. Myers was named Ohio Coach of the Year in 1971 and 1973.
