ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's soccer team defeated the University of Mount Union on the road at Kehres Stadium in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament semifinal to advance to the championship game, which will take place on Sunday.
The Yellow Jackets won the game in the first half, by virtue of a goal from
Braden Lamb, which was assisted by
Nathan Gray. As a result, it marks the first time in school history that they will play for the right to hoist the conference tournament trophy at the end of the season.
Game Recap
The contest started off back and forth. Both teams saw possession for a good chunk of time, and the Brown and Gold took two shots before Lamb connected on the left side of the net to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead. It was Lamb's team-leading fifth goal of the year.
Nathan Gray came in on the assist. The assist, Gray's fifth of the year, is also a team-leading total. For the opening half, BW took five shots and held the Purple Raiders to no shots.
The second half was a heavyweight battle by both teams, and neither one scored. In the half, there were a combined 12 fouls and three corner kicks. After Mount Union opened up the first half by taking no shots, they took nine in the second half. OAC Goalkeeper of the Year
Diego Teran made two saves, and he recorded his ninth shutout of the season. The Brown and Gold played the final 62 minutes with the lead and held on to eliminate the top OAC team in the regular season and live for at least another three days.
The Matchup
Since 2008, this was the 21st time the schools have played each other and the second time in the conference tournament. These matchups are all knotted up at 8-8-5 and 1-1 in the OAC Tournament. BW gets the better this year after falling to the Purple Raiders, 4-2, to end their season in 2025 in the quarterfinals
Looking Ahead
BW returns to the pitch on Sunday, November 8, when they travel to Ada to take on Ohio Northern for the right to advance to the NCAA Division III soccer tournament. Kickoff time is TBA, and more information will be available on the BW Athletics website tomorrow.
