BEREA, OHIO -- The seventh-ranked (www.nscaa.com Division III national poll) Baldwin-Wallace College men's soccer team erased a 2-1 halftime deficit to defeat Westminster (Pa.) College by a score of 3-2 this evening (Saturday, September 27, 2008) in Berea. The Yellow Jackets improved to 9-0-0 overall, marking the best start in school history.
Westminster went ahead at 24:55 of the first half when Garrett Horvath scored unassisted from 25 yards out. B-W quickly answered at the 27:28 mark when sophomore forward Tyler Leister (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) scored on a header following an Andy Synk (Strongsville) free-kick. Synk leads the Jackets in 2008 with eight assists.
The Titans regained the lead at the end of the half when Ian Hill scored unassisted at 42:27 of the period, but the Yellow Jackets pulled even once again when freshman forward Carlin Vandendriessche (Medina/Senior) scored his team-best sixth goal of the season off of an assist from Leister at 52:25 of the second half.
The game remained tied and seemed destined for overtime until B-W senior midfielder Cory Kovach (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) knocked home the game-winner with just 4:56 remaining on the clock. Senior midfielder Jim Synk (Strongsville) picked up his third assist in 2008 to aid the clincher.
In goal for B-W, junior Russ Mika (Medina/ Senior) faced four Titan shots in the second half and picked up two saves to improve to 5-0 on the year. Sophomore Zachary Ryman (Casstown/Troy) started and totaled four saves in the first half.
Both teams totaled 15 shots while Westminster won the corner kick battle, 3-2.
After nine matches in 2008, the trio of Andy Synk, Vandendriessche, and Leister lead the Jackets with 12 total points.
B-W returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at St. Vincent College of Pennsylvania. The game is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by the Yellow Jacket women versus St. Vincent at 7:00 p.m. One week from today, B-W begins its 2008 Ohio Athletic Conference schedule against Mount Union College at 7:00 p.m. in Berea.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Asst. SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
