Men's Soccer closes 2018 regular season slate with 2-0 loss at Mount Union
By Blake Moore
ALLIANCE — The Ohio Northern men's soccer program dropped its 2018 regular season finale 2-0 to Ohio Athletic Conference rival Mount Union at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance Saturday afternoon.
The Polar Bears complete the regular season with an 11-7-1 overall record and a 4-5-0 mark in conference action. With their league mark, Northern has qualified for the 2018 OAC Tournament and will play on the road in the quarterfinal round next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Purple Raiders end their regular season campaign with a 12-3-1 overall mark and a 5-3-1 record against the conference loop.
On the pitch, Mount Union would finally break through offensively following over 70 minutes of scoreless action, notching their two scores in a five-minute span. Junior midfielder Josh Lewis would crack the scoresheet first and provide the eventual game-winner for the home side in the 75th minute off a ball from classmate Jon Schroeder.
Moments later, Schroeder would again find an open teammate to set up the second strike, too. He would locate senior midfielder Colton Harsh, who doubled the Purple Raider lead with his fourth goal of the season to ensure the victory.
Offensively, sophomore Zach Yoder (Goshen, Ind./Northridge) paced the Polar Bear attack with two shots, both having been on frame.
In net, freshman John Lombardo would rack up six saves facing eight total shots on goal from the home side. His record as a starting goalkeeper would fall to 8-4-0 on the season after registering all 90 minutes in goal.
Overall, Mount Union would outshoot ONU 15-11, including a slim 8-7 shots on goal advantage. Each team would earn six corner kick opportunities in the weekend affair.
The Polar Bears will break from action until next Tuesday, October 30 when they compete in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 OAC Tournament. Ohio Northern will enter the OAC Tournament as the fifth- or sixth-seeded team, pending results from OAC matches scheduled for late Saturday evening. A location, time, and opponent will be determined once the conference regular season has concluded Saturday night.