ADRIAN, Mich. — Wabash College generated 10 corner kicks and put five shots on goal Tuesday evening but could not overcome a second-half penalty kick in a 1-0 nonconference loss to Adrian College at Docking Stadium.
The Little Giants pressed for an equalizer throughout the closing minutes, producing six corner kicks in an eight-minute span late in the second half. Wabash finished with eight shots overall, including five on goal, while eight of its 10 corner kicks came after halftime.
Wabash created several early chances in a scoreless first half. Bryce Kinnaman forced Adrian goalkeeper Eli Sizemore to make two saves between the eighth and 22nd minutes, while Alfredo Campos added a shot that sailed high.
Adrian answered with a late first-half push, earning two corner kicks and attempting three shots over an 11-minute stretch. The Wabash defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard, and Ethan Simmons forced another save from Sizemore in the 41st minute to send the teams into halftime tied 0-0.
Adrian broke the deadlock at 57:37 when Jack Pelton converted a penalty kick for the only goal of the match.
The Little Giants immediately went to work trying to erase the deficit. Danny Tkachuk had an attempt stopped by an Adrian team save later in the half, and Rafael Cordova kept Wabash within one goal by making a save on Carter Kerbawy in the 69th minute.
Wabash increased the pressure over the final 15 minutes, earning six corner kicks between 76:13 and 83:38. Kinnaman sent another attempt wide before Tkachuk put a shot on goal in the 89th minute that Sizemore saved to preserve the Adrian shutout.
Kinnaman and Tkachuk each finished with three shots and two shots on goal to lead the Wabash attack. Cordova played all 90 minutes in goal and made one save.
Pelton led Adrian with three shots. Sizemore made four saves while playing all 90 minutes in goal for the Bulldogs.
The match concluded the nonconference portion of the Wabash schedule. The Little Giants open North Coast Athletic Conference play Saturday, Oct. 3, with a 1 p.m. match at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio.
