DePauw Defeats Ohio Wesleyan in NCAC Tourney Title Tilt
DePauw jumped to a 3-0 lead and went on to defeat fifth-ranked Ohio Wesleyan in the championship game of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday at Roy Rike Field.
The 21st-ranked Tigers take the NCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament, while Ohio Wesleyan must wait for an at-large invitation.
The loss is only the second for Ohio Wesleyan in a championship game in the history of the NCAC tournament. The Bishops have compiled a 7-2-1 record in NCAC tournament title tilts.
Ohio Wesleyan had the first look at scoring, when a shot by senior forward Travis Wall was snared by Tiger keeper Nathan Sprenkel.
DePauw drew first blood shortly thereafter, when Kreigh Kamman made a run into the Bishop penalty area and squeezed off a shot from the left side. The ball trickled through junior goalkeeper Paul Hendricks and into the net for a 1-0 Tiger lead just under 5 minutes into the contest.
Sprenkel made a save on a shot by senior midfielder Dylan Stone midway through the half to preserve the lead, but his finest play would come later in the half.
The Tigers added to their lead in the 36th minute after Hendricks ranged out of the penalty area to play the ball, but DePauw won possession and George Elliott chipped the ball over Hendricks and into the net.
Ohio Wesleyan nearly got back to within 2-1, but Sprenkel kept the shutout going with a fine play on a header by senior forward Tyler Bryant in the 37th minute. Bryant had another chance in the 44th minute after running a combination play with Wall, but Bryant's shot skipped outside the left post.
Late in the first half, Elliott sent a through ball that freed Sam Meyer on a breakaway, and Meyer got a shot past Hendricks for a 3-0 DePauw lead with :36 to play.
The Bishops turned up the offensive pressure in the second half, with senior forward Matt Bonfini generating a pair of chances and Wall coming up with a pair of shots on goal less than a minute apart, and the effort paid off when Bonfini was fouled inside the penalty area and sophomore midfielder Jacob Eganhouse converted the ensuing penalty kick to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 3-1 in the 59th minute.
Wall put a shot on goal just over a minute later, and Stone did likewise a minute after that, but Sprenkel stopped both shots to maintain the 2-goal lead. Sprenkel made another good play to keep the lead at 2 goals, tipping a drive by Bryant over the crossbar in the 65th minute.
Meyer gave DePauw some insurance in the 77th minute with a long run up the right side and a shot from a tough angle that found the back of the Bishop net.
The Bishops got that goal back in the final minute after earning a corner kick. Freshman midfielder Colton Bloecher got a head on the corner kick, and the ball bounced in the box before Wall finished the play with :27 remaining.
Ohio Wesleyan outshot DePauw, 36-16. Hendricks had 4 saves in the Ohio Wesleyan goal. Sprenkel finished with 10 saves for the Tigers.
