UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – The Wilmington College men's soccer team stood toe-to-toe with the top team in the Ohio Athletic Conference, and played John Carroll to a scoreless tie Saturday in the season finale.
"We were determined to season really well," said head coach Bud Lewis. "I think John Carroll is the best team in the conference. The first 15 minutes we were shaky, but once we found our rhythm, we had a lot of the play. It was a very even game."
Both teams managed nine shots on goal as junior defender Brandon Klepach (Centerville, OH/Centerville) had three of Wilmington's nine. However, it was junior Daniel Wicks (Cincinnati, OH/Reading), who had the best chance.
After sophomore Nick Toney (Morrow, OH/Little Miami) beat the keeper, and drew a red card, Wicks missed his penalty kick in the game's 75th minute. A rebound shot was missed high.
"That is just the story of our season," said Lewis. "It was a very gutsy game. Both teams work hard. I am disappointed we didn't come up with the win. We played the best two teams and played some of our best soccer. It was just a little too late. "
Wilmington tallied five of their shots on goal in the two overtime periods as they played with a man advantage due to the red card.
The Fightin' Quakers wrap up their season 6-12-2 overall, 3-5-1 in the OAC.