BEREA, Ohio – In a return home after a four-game road trip, the Baldwin Wallace University men's soccer team notched its second consecutive victory, defeating Oberlin College 2-1 in non-conference action inside George Finnie Stadium.
Offside calls dominated the start of the first half as each team displayed a lot of energy and hustle in looking to get on the scoreboard first. BW (4-3-1) was able to jump out ahead when junior midfielder Kurt Raney (Mentor) fed a pass to the reigning Ohio Athletic Conference Forward of the Year, junior two-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC forward Danny Ruple (Berea/Berea-Midpark) who was running down the left side of the field. Ruple got past the Oberlin (0-7) goalkeeper, who came out of the box hoping to make a play, and rifled the ball into the right corner of the net in the 11th minute for a 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets had plenty of other scoring opportunities in the period that did not show up on the final box score. Both senior Academic All-OAC defender Jeremy Foust (Strongsville) and Raney threaded the needle with some precise passes, spreading out the field and opening up the Yeomen defense.
Oberlin opened up the second half by equaling its shot and shot on goal total from the first period in just the first few minutes. Looking to stave off any potential comeback, the Yellow Jackets continued to push on offense. Raney and Ruple had another chance to connect in the second half under similar circumstances but, this time, Ruple hit the crossbar on his shot. BW finally added to its lead in the 68th minute when junior Academic All-OAC forward Cannon Dees (Berea/Berea-Midpark) stole a pass from Whitcomb and immediately let it off to Ruple for his second goal of the game. The Yeomen made the end of the game interesting, taking two shots on goal in the final few minutes and eventually scoring their lone goal.
In goal, senior Academic All-OAC goalkeeper Brian Haviland (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) also picked up his second win in a row, a career high, and recorded three saves in a night where his back line of senior defender JT Taubeneck (Parma/Normandy), junior defender Jake Woodruff (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin), freshman defender Trevor Hamm (Strongsville) and Foust kept Oberlin at bay, especially in the second half.
BW will host Waynesburg (Pa.) University on Saturday, Sept. 22, for a men's and women's doubleheader on Lee Tressel Field inside George Finnie Stadium. The women will play at 1 p.m. while the men will follow at approximately 3:30 p.m.
