Entering their matchup between the Cardinals of Otterbein, the Heidelberg University men’s soccer team held a 2-1-1 record in the Ohio Athletic Conference with five OAC contests left. Following their match in Westerville, Ohio, head coach Brian Haley and the Heidelberg men stand at 3-1-1 in the OAC with a 2-0 victory over the Cardinals.
The victory in Westerville puts the Heidelberg men at 8-5-1 overall.
As a unit, the Berg tallied 16 shots, six of which were on goal.
However, it was in the first minute that defender Andrew Askren (Cincinnati/Mason) netted the first Heidelberg goal on the contest. Askren’s goal, which is his first of the 2012 season, came off of a corner kick by senior Cole Tonti (Columbus/St. Francis de Sales).
The Berg struck again just six minutes later when sophomore Tyler Eoff (Oak Harbor) netted his fourth goal of the season. Along with his four goals, Eoff has collected one assist and eight shots on goal in his sophomore campaign.
Eoff’s goal was set up by a pass from senior forward Ryan Smith (Roanoke, TX/Keller). Prior to the 2012 season, Smith had not played in the offensive third for the Berg. Smith had been the starting goalkeeper for the past three seasons, but since the move to forward, he has collected six goals, three assists and 18 shots on goal.
Sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Stevens (South Lyon, MI) recorded his fifth shutout of the year while collecting only two saves against the Cards. In his first year between the posts for the Student Princes, Stevens has amassed 55 saves and a .753 saves percentage.
Sophomores Nico Samaneigo (Huron) and Hamid Shariff (Columbus/Centennial) added to the Heidelberg offensive attack with two shots each.
The Heidelberg men will return to action on Wednesday, October 16, when they battle the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern University. The matchup against the Polar Bears will be played on Mayer Field. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 pm.