Junior midfielder Jessica Copeland (Ligonier, Pa./Foxcroft (Va.)) scored to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 17-15, but Claremont-Mudd-Scripps withstood the furious Bishop comeback to escape with a non-conference win on Saturday at Selby Field.

Copeland and junior midfielder Abbey Miller (Woolwich, Maine/Morse) scored goals just 40 seconds apart to give the Bishops an early 2-0 lead, and Copeland converted a free-position shot for a 3-1 Bishop lead at the 18:52 mark of the first half.

The Athenas reeled off consecutive goals by Colbi Brawner, Molly Murtaugh, and Sarah Dick to take a 4-3 lead, but Ohio Wesleyan came back to tie the game at 5-5 on a score by senior midfielder Hannah Mudge (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School) before Courtney Cronin and Brawner recorded goals to give the Athenas a 7-5 lead with 44 seconds in the first half.

It appeared that Ohio Wesleyan had seized the momentum when sophomore midfielder Marlowe Mavian (Columbus/Wellington) converted a free-position shot to bring the Bishops within 7-6 with :09 left in the half, but Dick won the ensuing draw, hit Cronin with a pass, and Cronin whistled a shot that found the back of the Ohio Wesleyan goal a split-second before the horn, giving the Athenas an 8-6 halftime lead.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps carried that momentum swing into the second half, opening the period with a 6-1 run that included 2 goals apiece by Brawner and Murtaugh.

Copeland ended that run by converting a free-position shot with 19:16 left in regulation time, but the combination of Cronin and Brawner clicked again for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, with the duo scoring goals just 9 seconds apart to extend the Athenas' lead to 16-8 with 18:41 to play.

The Bishops trailed, 17-9, before Mudge and Miller scored to make it a 17-11 game with 11:36 left, and Mavian converted a free-position shot to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 17-12 with exactly 10 minutes to play.

Mavian added a pair of unassisted goals as the Bishops whittled the deficit to 17-14 with 5:22 remaining. Ohio Wesleyan got the ball back with a chance to pull within 17-15 with just under 5 minutes to play, but Athenas keeper Katie Campbell-Morrison came up with a save on a shot by Mudge to preserve the 3-goal lead. Copeland's free-position goal with 1:11 left sliced the gap to 17-15, but that was as close as the Bishops would come.

Copeland and Mavian scored 4 goals apiece for Ohio Wesleyan, while Mudge finished with 2 goals and 2 assists. Freshman Liz Searfos (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) went the distance in the Ohio Wesleyan crease, making 14 saves.

Brawner led the Athenas with 7 goals and 2 assists, while Cronin added 4 goals and an assist, and Murtaugh finished with 3 goals and an assist. Campbell-Morrison was credited with 5 saves for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

2009-04-19