Gators Denied NCAC Title as Late Goal Negates Dominating Effort
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan's Ally Meiss converted a corner kick in the 87th minute, and despite being dominated for large stretches of the game, the Battling Bishops rode that late finish to the 2011 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship. Senior center back Kira Kliment rifled a free kick just over the OWU goal as the final horn sounded.
As they had for much of the campaign, Allegheny statistically dominated the opposition. For the second time in a week, the Gators had Ohio Wesleyan on the ropes with a devastating attack that kept possession deep in the offensive third. The Gators outshot the Bishops, 13-2, in the opening half, and finished the game with a 21-8 advantage.
In the final 12 minutes of the game, Ohio Wesleyan started getting behind the defense on the outside for the first time since the opening kick. The Bishops played their best at the end and were awarded a corner with just over three minutes left in regulation. Jessie Huschart served the ball into the box, which sailed off Karr's outstretched hands and into the possession of Meiss, who buried the ball just inside the back post.
The victory gives Ohio Wesleyan its first conference title and NCAA tournament appearance since 2005. The Gators, who lost in the finals of the 2010 NCAC Tournament, will have to wait and see if they are awarded their second consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.
Right before the decisive goal, Dayna Rowe had a marvelous opportunity from the top of the box, but she was unable to get off a clean strike and the ball was blocked out of danger.
The Gators played the last stretch of the season without the service of key starters Alison Buzzard and Jaymee Wallace, but still managed to advance to the league final behind Karr's strong play in net and the outstanding defensive tandem of Kliment and rookie Samantha Hoderlein.
