CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Danny Tkachuk scored his second goal of the season to give Wabash College a first-half lead Saturday afternoon, but visiting College of Wooster rallied with three second-half goals to defeat the Little Giants 3-1 in North Coast Athletic Conference men's soccer action at Mud Hollow Stadium.
Wabash (10-5-1, 1-3-0 NCAC) matched Wooster (7-5-2, 1-2-2 NCAC) with 13 shots and held a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Little Giants recorded seven second-half shots, including three on goal, but could not overcome the Fighting Scots' second-half scoring surge.
Tkachuk put Wabash in front in the 27th minute, scoring off an assist from sophomore midfielder Ethan Simmons at the 26:37 mark. The goal capped a stretch of offensive pressure that saw the Little Giants generate three corner kicks and four shots over an eight-minute span.
Simmons created Wabash's first shot on goal in the 21st minute, forcing a save from Wooster goalkeeper Eddie Glucksman. Alfredo Campos followed with a blocked attempt before Simmons sent another shot wide of the net. Wabash earned its third corner kick of the half at 25:12, setting the stage for Tkachuk's goal just over a minute later.
The Little Giants continued to press after taking the lead. Simmons had another attempt blocked in the 33rd minute, and Tkachuk forced Glucksman to make a save at 39:04.
Wabash goalkeeper Rafael Cordova helped preserve the first-half advantage with a save on an attempt by Aris Christodoulou in the 16th minute. The Little Giants withstood a late Wooster push that included two corner kicks and a pair of shots in the final four minutes to carry a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Wooster evened the match at 1-1 when Connor Shea scored his fourth goal of the season at 54:17. Shea struck again at 63:37, converting a pass from Evan Peratopoulos for his fifth goal of the year and the eventual game-winner.
The Fighting Scots extended their lead to 3-1 in the 72nd minute when Aiden Faber scored his first goal of the season at 71:41.
Wabash responded with a series of scoring opportunities over the final 18 minutes. Simmons put a shot on goal at 72:32, forcing a save from second-half Wooster goalkeeper Stefanos Sotiriadis. Tkachuk followed with another shot on goal at 76:35 before having a second attempt blocked less than two minutes later.
Bryce Kinnaman added a blocked shot in the 80th minute, and Colton Hughes-Suiters forced Sotiriadis to make another save at 82:21. The Little Giants continued attacking in the closing minute, with Simmons having an attempt blocked before Hughes-Suiters sent Wabash's final shot over the crossbar with 39 seconds remaining.
Simmons led Wabash with five shots, including two on goal, and recorded the assist on Tkachuk's first-half score. Tkachuk finished with four shots, placing three on goal. Hughes-Suiters added two shots, including one on target.
Both teams recorded six shots in the first half and seven in the second. Wooster held a narrow 7-6 advantage in corner kicks. The Fighting Scots committed 15 fouls compared to 14 by Wabash, with each team receiving one yellow card.
Cordova finished with one save in 90 minutes for Wabash. Sotiriadis recorded three second-half saves to earn the victory for Wooster, while Glucksman made two saves in the opening period.
The Little Giants return to NCAC competition Wednesday, Oct. 21, when they travel to Greencastle, Indiana, to face rival DePauw University. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
