WILMINGTON, Ohio – Elorm Dogbey netted two goals as the Wilmington College men's soccer team battled Head Coach Cory Bucur's former squad, Defiance College, to a 2-2 draw in non-conference action from Williams Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Fightin' Quakers came out firing as Casey Miller took two shots and Grant Murray one, but all three were blocked in the first four minutes. It was the Yellow Jackets who took the first shot on goal as an Armando Campos-Ortiz shot was saved by WC goalkeeper Gabriel Swaisgood.
In the 24th minute, Defiance opened the scoring as Riley Hensley sent a beautiful through ball that found the foot of Jeremy Fuller who beat a charging Swaisgood with his left foot. Trailing for the first time in the first half all season, it took Wilmington just five minutes to answer as Elorm Dogbey was fouled in the box. The fifth-year senior calmly converted the corner kick to tie the game.
The visitors would take the lead into halftime, however, Chase Stiner sent a cross into the box in the 37th minute that found the head of Kaden Pirrwitz. Pirrwitz, who had checked into the contest moments ago, lofted a header over Swaisgood for the go-ahead goal. The hosts would fire four more shots and 71 percent of possession in the offensive half of the pitch, but trailed 2-1 at the break.
In the second half, Ben Guimson broke loose up the middle in the 60th minute that beat Defiance keeper Orry Killam, but the shot caromed off the left post. The Quakers kept pressing, and it paid off as Dogbey went 1-on-4 and scored the game-tying goal in the 71st minute. The Yellow Jackets nearly broke the deadlock in the final minutes, but Stiner's left-footed shot sailed just wide of the far post.
Wilmington, which concluded a four-game week, more than doubled Defiance in shots 31-15 including, but shots on goal were more even, 7-5 in favor of the Quakers. Dogbey netted both WC goals, with an assist from Brady Vilvens, on six shots while Stiner led Defiance with six.
"As much as I can reflect on the result of the 90 minutes of soccer that was played, I'd rather focus on the emotional side of things for me," said Bucur. "Although I'm newer here at Wilmington, I like to think I just got to see 50 plus young men compete on the field or on the bench at an extremely high level, and that I've had an impact on their lives in some sort of way. Today was a great reminder of why we as coaches do what we do, and I'll focus on using that to prepare our guys to get a win against a tough Kalamazoo opponent on Saturday."
The Quakers (2-1-1) will travel to Ada, Ohio, to face Kalamazoo College (Michigan) on Saturday at 4 p.m.
