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| Matt Parmelee |
WOOSTER, Ohio – A six-minute stretch to close out the fourth quarter was the difference in an otherwise highly-competitive, back-and-forth match-up, as Oberlin College turned a tie score into a 10-6 victory with four unanswered goals, which signaled the end of The College of Wooster's strong 2014 season.
The Fighting Scots (10-5, 3-4 NCAC) won ten games this spring for the first time since 2008 and just the second time in 18 years, but the Yeomen (8-6, 3-4 NCAC) appeared ready for the challenge from the onset, as they scored the game's first three goals to take an early 3-0 lead.
Wooster turned the tables at that point, as it closed out the quarter on a four-goal run, which included an impressive tally from Pat Henderson, who zigzagged through several defenders before bouncing a shot past the 'keeper which put Wooster ahead 4-3.
The scoring pace slowed down quite a bit after that, with Oberlin scoring the only two goals of the second quarter, followed by a scoreless third quarter, which left the Yeomen in front 5-4 entering the final period.
Oberlin opened the fourth with a goal to extend its advantage to two, 6-4, but Wooster pulled within one (6-5) thanks to a Mike Kahl-PJ Dallman connection. Later in the quarter, CJ Polak delivered a pass to Matt Parmelee in traffic, but the latter leaped up to clear his defenders reach and rifled in a shot while being pushed down that knotted the score at 6-6.
The Yeomen responded just 17 seconds later by capitalizing on a man-up opportunity, one of their three man-up goals on the evening, to go back up, 7-6. Then Oberlin kept the pressure on, scoring three more times during the closing minutes of the game to take the North Coast Athletic Conference tilt by a 10-6 count.
Matt Magoon, one of four seniors recognized during pregame festivities, recorded 11 saves in the setback and added two groundballs. Other seniors, Jake Bernard (4 shots), Ethan Flack, and Dean Marchitelli (5 groundballs, 3 caused turnovers) were also very much involved on "Senior Day."
Wooster's goals were spread out, with six different players putting one away, although Dallman and Parmelee each chipped in an assist as well.