UNION TOWNSHIP | Locked in a tight match that seemed destined to end in a tie, Andrean needed just 11 seconds to put those thoughts to bed Monday night.
Chase Dawson dribbled through the middle of Wheeler's defense to find the back of the net and break a 1-1 tie with just over ten minutes remaining.
Just after the re-start, junior Jose Angulo ripped off a shot from 40 yards out that barely cleared the head of Wheeler keeper Patrick Berg, sending the 59ers to a 3-1 victory.
"Those two goals took the wind out of (Wheeler's) sails a little bit," Andrean coach Pete Reist said. "The game was so close for so long. It was a really well-played match between both teams."
Andrean's Mike Gore started the scoring in the 23rd minute when the junior forward drove a ball off the post and into the goal after the 59ers (10-1-1) missed on several opportunities earlier in the first half.
"The first goal really opened the game up for us," Gore said. "We weren't playing up to our potential."
The Bearcats (3-9) evened the match when junior Austin Sloboda finished off a feed from Ben Moricz in the 30th minute. The two teams played even soccer for the next half hour, with both Berg and Andrean keeper Mike Croux coming up with key saves.
Croux delivered his finest save of the evening late in the second half, diving to his right to catch a ball that would've been tapped in had the senior mistimed his jump. Moments later, Dawson broke the tie and then Angulo iced the game with his long-distance shot.
"I had the ball in front of me and I saw that the goalie was off his line, so I just decided to go for it," Angulo said.
The match was emotional for Wheeler coach Dave Bock. The first-year coach played at Andrean under Reist and was making his first coaching appearance against the 59ers. Given the fact that the Bearcats were playing without senior Steven Crosby (leg) and had several players limited due to ankle injuries, Bock was proud of their effort, minus 11 seconds of the night.
"I love (Reist) as a guy and it was a thrill for me to coach against my alma mater," Bock said. "Our guys really stepped forth with a strong effort for me tonight."
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