Box Score Steve Magura scored the first goal for the Little Giants, and
Zach Woloshin's fifth goal of the season tied Wednesday evening's soccer match between Wabash College and DePauw University at 2-2. However, the 12th-ranked Tigers responded with two goals over the final nine minutes of regulation to take 4-2 victory.
Wabash struck first when Magura deflected a pass from
Ivaylo Mantchev into the open net for the Little Giants in the 24th minute. Wabash held the 1-0 lead at the half. DePauw evened the match four minutes in the second period off a goal by Julian Gonzalez. The Tigers made it 2-1 in the 59th minute when Alieu Musa fired a header into the net off a pass from Jon Krok.
The Little Giants continued to push in an attempt to tie the contest and were rewarded for their efforts in the 81st minute. Mantchev restarted play in the Wabash offensive end of the field on a corner kick that Woloshin collected and deposited in the back of the net for his team-leading fifth goal of the season in just his seventh match of the year.
Wabash had little time to celebrate as DePauw scored 32 seconds later on what would prove the be the game-winning goal. Andy Morrison notched his 11th goal of the season off assists by Gonzalez and Krok for a 3-2 Tigers lead. DePauw (14-2-1, 5-2-1 NCAC) tacked on an insurance goal by Gonzalez in the 85th minute to give the Tigers the victory in North Coast Athletic Conference play.
"This was a complete and total 100-percent effort by our men tonight," Wabash head coach
Chris Keller said. "We played a heck of a game. Tactically we did everything we talked about and were really successful. We made a couple of mistakes and got punished for them. Give DePauw credit — they took advantage of those mistakes and scored. That's why they're a nationally-ranked team.
"We moved the ball forward and we were hungry to win the ball. But at the end of the day DePauw put more chances in the goal than we were able to. That's what good teams do, finish the play. I'm still really proud of our effort in a really good soccer match to watch."
Woloshin led the Little Giants' offensive attack with two shots and one of two shots on goal in the match. Wabash nearly matched DePauw in total attempts, firing five attempts to the Tigers' six.
Dayton Jennings recorded one save in the contest.
Wabash (3-11-2, 1-6-1 NCAC) will finish the 2013 season at home Saturday with an 11 a.m. match against the College of Wooster.
