Bryant, O'Keefe Help Ohio Wesleyan Step Back in Time
Senior forward Tyler Bryant and sophomore midfielder Ian O'Keefe contributed a goal and an assist apiece to help sixth-ranked Ohio Wesleyan post a 6-0 North Coast Athletic Conference win over Wooster on Thursday at South Field.
The game was postponed from its originally scheduled slot of Wednesday evening at Roy Rike Field because of this week's heavy rains in Delaware, and in moving to South Field, became the Bishop soccer team's first game on that site in nearly 50 years. South Field was the original home of the Battling Bishop men's soccer and men's lacrosse teams, and last hosted a varsity soccer game on Nov. 8, 1963, when the Bishops defeated Denison, 6-2, in their regular-season finale before moving to Roy Rike Field the following year.
The win extended Ohio Wesleyan's unbeaten streak in NCAC games to a conference-record 37. The victory also was the 599th career win for Ohio Wesleyan head coach Jay Martin.
While the setting for Thursday's game painted a nostalgic picture of how Ohio Wesleyan soccer used to be, the conditions were far from ideal. Rain that varied from drizzle to moderate lasted through most of the contest, and stiff westerly winds made aerial play difficult.
Play in the opening minutes was conservative, with the game's first shot coming in the 11th minute.
The Bishops got on the scoreboard midway through the first half, when senior back Andrew Miller clanged a shot off the crossbar and Bryant was there to jump on the rebound and drive it past Fighting Scot keeper Taylor Takacs.
Five minutes later, Bryant set up O'Keefe on a score to increase the Bishop lead to 2-0.
Wooster had a chance to cut the deficit to 2-1 when the Scots were awarded a penalty kick in the 32nd minute, but junior Paul Hendricks saved Jonathon Fox's kick to preserve the shutout, and the first half would end with Ohio Wesleyan holding that 2-0 lead.
Ohio Wesleyan increased its lead to 3-0 early in the second half as sophomore midfielder Paolo Bucci centered the ball to senior midfielder Dylan Stone, who finished the chance in the 52nd minute.
The Bishops made it 4-0 in the 63rd minute as Takacs saved a shot by freshman midfielder Colton Bloecher, but the rebound went to O'Keefe, who played the ball back to Bloecher, whose second shot found paydirt.
Senior midfielder Tevon Levien added a goal in the 81st minute, and sophomore forward Joe Beshara scored on a putback of his own offensive rebound in the 86th minute to account for the 6-0 final.
Ohio Wesleyan outshot Wooster, 28-3. Hendricks and sophomore Zach Khalifa combined for 1 save in the Ohio Wesleyan goal. Takacs finished with 7 saves for Wooster.
