Gators Season Ends at Hands of Battling Bishops
DELAWARE, Ohio - The Allegheny men's soccer team traveled to Delaware, Ohio for the second time in five days, as they would take on the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan in the opening round of the NCAC tournament. The Gators would give Ohio Wesleyan everything they could handle in the first half; however, the Battling Bishops would take control in the second half and come away with a 4-1 victory, ending Allegheny's season.
The Gators (11-7-1, 4-4-1) would find themselves in an early hole, just as they did on Saturday night, after giving up a goal in the seventh minute. Unlike Saturday though, Allegheny would answer. Just over 10 minutes later when sophomore Andrew Miller would put home his sixth goal of the year to knot the game at one all. Miller would be the beneficiary of great positioning, as he would clean up in front of the net from a Timothy Egan header off of a corner kick from senior Matt Weintraub.
The rest of the first half would be a back and forth affair, played mainly in the midfield. After 45 minutes of play, the score was all tied up at 1-1. With solid play coming from Allegheny's back line and midfield, the Gators looked poised to take down the NCAC giant that it Ohio Wesleyan.
Allegheny had a great chance to go up one early in the second half when a through ball found its way to the feet of junior David DelGreco on a partial breakaway. With an Ohio Wesleyan defender on his hip, DelGreco would put a solid offering on net, but Paul Hendricks was there for the Battling Bishops to keep the game tied.
Ohio Wesleyan would soon go on the counter attack, and end up with a nice chance right at the top of the 18 yard box. However, just as he has been all season long, sophomore John Lichina was there to make a spectacular save.
The Battling Bishops would keep the pressure on, and in the 55 minute would find a way to get their second goal of the game to give them a 2-1 lead. DelGreco had a beautiful chance to tie the game at two just minutes later, as a Weintraub cross found itself at the feet of DelGreco and an Ohio Wesleyan defender inside the Battling Bishops box. After a scramble in front of the net, Hendricks was able to knock the ball free as Allegheny was called for a foul to end any scoring threat.
That would be the last real chance for the Gators, as Ohio Wesleyan would add two more goals to take the NCAC semifinal match 4-1.
Lichina would end the game with five saves, including a penalty kick in the 55 minute, as Allegheny would see their season end to the hands of Ohio Wesleyan for the second year in a row.
The 2011 season ends as the Allegheny Gators look to turn the corner and become one of the elite teams in the NCAC. A five game winning streak to start the season landed Allegheny in the national top 25 for the first time since 2004, while the 11 wins they amassed was the most in a season since 2006.
