Scots Battle to Draw With Last Year's NCAA Div. III National Runner-Ups

Adam Milligan

The College of Wooster men's soccer team finished in a tie for the third time in eight matches on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 24), settling for a 1-1 deadlock with visiting Otterbein College.

While the Scots may have come away from the other ties frustrated, Wednesday's left a better taste in their mouth because Otterbein advanced all the way to the NCAA Division III championship game last season, and they outplayed the 2002 national runners-up for stretches of the match.

The Cardinals' top scorer, Angelo Manzo, came back from an early collision with Wooster goalie David Treleven and took advantage of a direct kick opportunity. With the ball lined up just outside the goal box after a foul in the 34th minute, Manzo cleared the Scots' wall and hooked it perfectly inside the upper left corner for his eighth goal this year.

Wooster (3-2-3) missed out on a couple of opportunities in the first half, but capitalized early in the second, when its top scorer, Adam Milligan, got through for a breakaway. After receiving a pass from Jung Kim, Milligan notched his fifth goal of the season, beating Otterbein goalie Jeffrey Rust on a one-on-one chance just 2:30 into the half.

After a low-key opening 48 minutes, play was heated the rest of the way with one red card and two yellows being issued. In fact, the Cardinals were forced to play the final 5:27 of regulation and both overtimes a man-down due to the red card.

Overall, the Scots had more opportunities, outshooting Otterbein 11-5 for the game, however, the Cardinals nearly stole the game early in the first overtime, as the crossbar kept Wooster alive.

Rust was credited with two saves, while Treleven made one.

The Scots will play North Coast Athletic Conference matches the rest of the way, starting with a trip to Wittenberg University (4-5, 0-0 NCAC) on Saturday (Sept. 27) at 3:30 p.m.