Ohio Wesleyan Withstand Rally to Top Visiting Whittier

Junior midfielder Marlowe Mavian (Columbus/Wellington) tallied 3 goals during an 8-2 first-half run that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and the Bishops withstood a Whittier rally to defeat the Poets in non-conference action on Sunday at Selby Field.

Mavian put the Bishops on the scoreboard with a goal just over 3 minutes into the action, and senior attacker Elizabeth Lambert (Alexandria, Va./Williams) followed with a goal for a 2-0 Bishop lead, but Whittier came back with scores from Alex Holtz and Amy Cirbo to tie the game at 2-2.

Senior midfielder Jessica Copeland (Ligonier, Pa./Foxcroft (Va.)) converted a free-position shot to put the Bishops ahead to stay, then after Mavian scored a pair of goals 88 seconds apart and Lambert followed with another goal to cap an Ohio Wesleyan run of 4 goals in less than 4 minutes.

The Poets answered with a pair of scores from Lauren Bibby to pull within 6-4, but the Bishops reeled off another quick 4-0 run, getting goals from Copeland, Lambert, freshman attacker Annie Swanson (McLean, Va./Langley), and Mavian to take a 10-4 lead with 2:49 left in the first half.

Copeland scored a pair of goals during the opening portion of the second half as the Bishops extended the margin to 15-7 with 13:06 left in regulation time, and Ohio Wesleyan still led, 16-8, after Copeland and Whittier's Trillium Santin traded goals.

The Poets rallied with a goal from Carolyn Mukai, a pair of scores by Emily Mukai, and goals from Kaitlin Fithian and Bibby to pull within 17-13 with 4:05 left to play, but that was as close as Whittier would come.

Copeland led the Bishops with 6 goals and an assist, Mavian finished with 5 goals, and Lambert scored 4 goals.

Sophomore Lauren Figy (Westfield, Mass.) was credited with 7 saves in the Ohio Wesleyan goal.

Bibby and Carolyn Mukai scored 3 goals apiece for Whittier. Conny Joel finished with 9 saves for the Poets.

2010-04-04