(Photo by Karen Carter/OlentangySports.com)
DELAWARE, Ohio – Junior Josh Thaboune (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley HS) scored twice including the game-winner in overtime as Capital outlasted #7 Ohio Wesleyan, 2-1 in non-conference men’s soccer action on Wednesday night.
Capital, the sixth-ranked team in the NSCAA Great Lakes Regional Poll, remained perfect on the season at 5-0-0 while Ohio Wesleyan, which is currently ranked No. 7 in the NSCAA National Poll and No.1 in the Great Lakes Region, suffered its first loss of the season and fell to 4-1-0. The win was also the first ever by the Crusaders over the Bishops in a series that dates back to 1975.
The Bishops pressured the visiting Crusaders for most of the first half as OWU outshot CU 13-6 in the first 45 minutes of play. Ohio Wesleyan finally broke through for the first goal of the match just 16 seconds before halftime as Eric Laipple used a free kick to feed Matt Giannetti in the box who found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
OWU kept the pressure on in the second half as it forced five corner kicks and took 10 shots, but in the 79th minute CU evened the score when junior Steven McCarthy (Centerville, Ohio/Archbishop Alter HS) drew the keeper away from the goal and then fed Thaboune who placed the ball just inside the left post to make it a 1-1 game.
At the end of regulation, Ohio Wesleyan led in nearly every statistical category. The Bishops held advantages in shots (23-12) and corner kicks (10-7) while also taking the first shot of the extra session, which went wide of the goal.
Capital took advantage on the restart and eventually sophomore Lewis Black (Auckland, New Zealand/St. Peter’s College) threw the ball in from the sidelines to the foot of Thaboune who went top shelf from 30 yards out to give the Crusaders a dramatic, 2-1 victory over a nationally-ranked opponent.
Senior goalkeeper John Snyder (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington HS) made 12 saves in a winning effort for Capital which returns to action at home against Denison on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.