2004 Match Recaps

Nov. 22, Nyack (NCCAA National Tournament)
Nyack jumped out to an early lead and defeated Cedarville, 4-2, in the 5th-place game at the NCCAA National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets, 11-11-2, completed their sixth straight season with at least a .500 record. The Purple Pride scored the first two goals of the match before Scott DeLange answered with an unassisted goal in the 31st minute to cut the deficit to 2-1 by halftime. Nyack pushed the difference to 4-1 and then Justin Benz scored his team-high sixth goal of the campaign in the 78th minute on an assist from Joe Zuerner. [STATS]

Nov. 20, Palm Beach Atlantic (NCCAA National Tournament)
Cedarville and Palm Beach Atlantic battled to a 1-1 double-overtime draw at the NCCAA National Tournament, but the Yellow Jackets advanced to play in the 5th-place game on penalty kicks. Justin Benz gave CU the lead with an unassisted goal in the 15th minute. The Sailfish netted the equalizer before the intermission in the 41st minute. Following a pair of overtime periods, the two teams each converted four-of-five shots in the first round of penalty kicks. The Jackets ultimately won it, 7-6, when Ken Davis converted on Cedarville’s ninth attempt and PBA missed. David Howdyshell tallied four saves during the 110 minutes of regulation and overtime. [STATS]

Nov. 19, Master's (NCCAA National Tournament)
No. 5 seed Master’s netted a goal in the first half and it held up for a 1-0 victory over No. 4 Cedarville in the first round of the NCCAA National Tournament. The Mustangs scored in the 27th minute and it was the ninth match that the Yellow Jackets have played this year that resulted in a 1-0 final. CU is 5-4 in those contests. Master's outshot CU 14-11 overall and 6-5 in shots on goal. Cedarville goalkeeper David Howdyshell was credited with four saves. [STATS]

Nov. 11, SPRING ARBOR (NCCAA Midwest Region Championship)
Andrew Belleman converted a penalty kick in the 64th minute and top-seeded Cedarville held on to defeat Spring Arbor, 1-0, in the NCCAA Midwest Region championship game. It’s the third region title in head coach Ben Belleman’s four-year tenure and the school’s ninth overall. The Jackets earn an automatic berth to the NCCAA Nationals on Nov. 19-20, 22 in Kissimmee, FL. Cedarville had beaten the Cougars, 4-1, in the third match of the season at the Olivet Nazarene Classic. This time, both teams struggled for quality chances in conditions featuring 40-degree temperatures and blowing rain. On the play inside the box that set up the PK, the referee’s whistle blew just as CU lobbed the ball into the net. The goal was disallowed, the foul stood, and it forced Belleman to bury the 12-yard attempt in what was his first goal of the season. Spring Arbor outshot Cedarville, 12-9 overall, but the Jackets had a slim 4-3 edge in shots on goal. David Howdyshell made two saves and picked up his sixth shutout. The CU defense was credited with the other save. [STATS]

Oct. 30, at Walsh
Walsh beat Cedarville, 3-1, in the regular season finale to grab the last American Mideast Conference playoff spot and knock the Yellow Jackets out of the tournament. Now CU awaits the pairings for the NCCAA Midwest Regional. The Cavaliers never trailed after scoring in the fourth minute of the match. The Jackets tied the contest in the 43rd minute when Jon Miley, playing in just his third collegiate match, netted his first career goal on an assist from Pete Dryer. Walsh got the go ahead goal in the 51st minute and then completed the scoring in the 89th minute. [STATS]

Oct. 26, at Mount Vernon Nazarene
Justin Benz scored with 4:19 remaining in the second overtime to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 victory at Mount Vernon Nazarene in an American Mideast Conference South Division match. The outcome means that the winner of Cedarville’s regular season finale at Walsh earns a berth in the AMC Qualifying Tournament. However, if the two teams tie they could potentially end up in a three-way tie with Urbana for the final playoff spot. It appeared the Jackets and MVNU would have to settle for a scoreless draw before Benz netted his fourth goal of the season on an assist from Jon Taylor. David Howdyshell made three saves en route to his fifth shutout in goal. Cedarville has played five double overtime games this season. After losing their first one, they’ve gone 3-0-1 in the last four. The Jackets are also 4-3 in games decided by a 1-0 score. [STATS]

Oct. 23, TIFFIN
Tiffin overcame sloppy field conditions to pin a 2-0 decision on Cedarville in an American Mideast Conference South Division match. The Yellow Jackets, who produced just two shots on goal, suffered their third straight shutout. The Dragons cleaned up a rebound in a scramble in front of the net for the game’s first goal in the 19th minute. CU kept it close until the 65th minute when the visitors made it 2-0. Tiffin put 11 shots on net and outshot the Jackets 17-9 overall. David Howdyshell was credited with eight saves. A steady rain fell throughout much of the contest which also included 15-20 mph wins. [STATS]

Oct. 16, MOBILE
NAIA No. 13 Mobile made the most of its opportunities in dealing Cedarville a 4-0 setback in the second contest of a men’s doubleheader played at Yellow Jacket Field. NAIA No. 1 and defending national champion Rio Grande beat Trinity International, 4-1, in the opener. Mobile outshot the Yellow Jackets 17-10 for the match and held a slim 8-7 edge in shots on goal. The Rams got all they needed with a goal in the 30th minute and it was a 1-0 difference at halftime. Mobile obtained some breathing room with their second score just two minutes into the second period. They added goals in the 60th and 71st minutes to account for the final. [STATS]

Oct. 15, TRINITY INTERNATIONAL
The Yellow Jackets and Trinity International battled one another and the elements to a 0-0 tie in a non-conference match. The contest was played with temperatures in the 40's along with 25-35 mph wind and light rain. The weather did not keep either team from mounting opportunities. Cedarville outshot the Trojans by a slim 17-16 margin overall, but the hosts put 11 shots on goal compared to five for TIU. David Howdyshell had three saves along with some help from the back line in posting his fourth shutout of the season. On one rapid fire exchange in the first half, CU defenders saved successive Trinity International shots from finding the net. The Jackets are 2-1-1 in overtime matches this fall. It was their first 0-0 result since playing Master’s to a scoreless draw at the Olivet Nazarene Tournament in 2003. [STATS]

Oct. 12, OHIO DOMINICAN
Josh Gelser scored midway through the second overtime to give Cedarville a stunning 2-1 victory over Ohio Dominican in an American Mideast Conference South Division match. It was the second straight victory for the Yellow Jackets and their third in the past four matches. The two teams played a scoreless battle until the visiting Panthers pushed a goal through in the 77th minute. CU netted the equalizer with just 2:25 left in regulation on a score by Justin Benz. Phil Ellis intially rifled a shot that was deflected right to Benz about 12 yards in front of the goal and he quickly finished off the opportunity. The Jackets completed their come-from-behind victory in the 105th minute when Phil Shimer found an opening down the middle of the field and alertly fed a pass to Gelser on the left side who tucked away the winner into an open net. Both teams attempted 14 shots with ODU holding a 9-7 margin in shots on goal. David Howdyshell made eight saves in goal for Cedarville. [STATS]

Oct. 9, at Grace
Phil Shimer headed in a goal late in the second half to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 non-conference victory at Grace. Shimer’s goal, his second of the season, came in the 75th minute following a restart from 40 yards out. Andrew Belleman delivered the free kick and the sophomore midfielder took care of the rest. David Howdyshell was credited with four saves in goal en route to his third shutout of the season. Cedarville outshot the Lancers, 16-9, but the hosts placed four shots on goal compared to the Jackets’ three. [STATS]

Oct. 6, at Rio Grande
Defending NAIA national champion and No. 1 ranked Rio Grande defeated Cedarville, 5-0, in an American Mideast Conference South Division match. The unbeaten Redmen, 10-0 overall and 2-0 AMC, got all they needed with a goal in the 8th minute. Another goal midway through the period gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime advantage. Rio turned it up a notch in the second half with three goals in a seven-minute span to break it open. Those scores came in the 52nd, 54th, and 59th minutes to account for the final. The Redmen outshot the Jackets 13-7 including a 10-2 margin in shots on goal. Rio also enjoyed a 9-1 corner kick advantage. [STATS]

Oct. 2, MALONE
Cedarville broke a scoreless tie with three quick goals in the second half and then held on for a 3-2 Homecoming victory over Malone in an American Mideast Conference South Division match. Jason Blair tucked a 20-yard shot just inside the right post off of a restart in the 60th minute to get the Jackets going. Joe Zuerner headed a cross from Phil Shimer just 90 seconds later to make it 2-0. CU then stretched the bulge to three goals when Ken Davis found the net amid a scramble in the goalie box in the 69th minute. The Pioneers finished off a corner kick in the 73rd minute to get on the board. The visitors made the contest interesting by scoring again with 3:26 remaining. Both teams had 13 shots apiece with Malone holding a slim 7-6 edge in shots on goal. [STATS]

Sept. 28, at Urbana
Urbana scored the game’s only goal in the 86th minute to beat the Yellow Jackets in an American Mideast Conference South Division match. David Howdyshell was credited with two saves in goal. It was the second win for the Blue Knights over Cedarville in what was the 16th meeting in the series between the two schools. [STATS]

Sept. 25, at Wittenberg
Joe Zuerner scored his second game-winning goal of the week to give Cedarville a 2-1 victory at Wittenberg in the second overtime. His goal five days earlier provided the Jackets a 1-0 win over Notre Dame College. This time, Zuerner found the net in the 108th minute on assists from Ken Davis and Pete Dryer as CU beat the Tigers for the third consecutive time and the second straight via overtime. Phil Ellis started the Jackets’ comeback from a 1-0 deficit when he scored in the 78th minute from David Adams. Wittenberg had taken the early lead by scoring off a corner kick in the 29th minute. Cedarville outshot the hosts 18-9 overall and 11-3 in shots on goal. Steve Bushre came off the bench to play the final 62 minutes and made two saves without allowing a goal. [STATS]

Sept. 24, SHAWNEE STATE
Tyler Schumacher scored two goals and Cedarville opened American Mideast Conference South Division play with a convincing 6-2 win versus Shawnee State. The six goals were a season-high for the Yellow Jackets, who entered the match with 11 goals in their first eight contests. Phil Ellis headed in a cross off a restart from Pete Dryer in the 10th minute and the hosts never trailed. Joe Zuerner tucked in a pass from David Adams 10 minutes later and then Justin Benz and Jason Blair set up Phil Shimer in the 32nd minute for a 3-0 lead. The Bears ricocheted a shot off the left post in the 35th minute to complete the first-half scoring. A Grant Knight header from Zuerner got the second period scoring underway just 84 seconds into the frame. Schumacher netted back-to-back goals from Elliot Moore in the 69th minute and from Josh Gelser in the 73rd minute. Shawnee State converted a penalty kick with nine minutes left. [STATS]

Sept. 21, NOTRE DAME (Ohio)
Joe Zuerner’s first goal of the season was all Cedarville needed as they stunned Notre Dame College, 1-0. It was another tight match between the two American Mideast Conference schools, who have surrendered a total of five goals between them in their last four meetings which have featured three 1-0 results and a 1-1 tie. Zuerner picked off an Andrew Belleman corner kick in mid-air and one-timed it into the back of the net in the 71st minute for what turned out to be the difference. The Falcons, members of the AMC North Division, outshot the AMC South hosts, 15-12, but both teams produced just four shots on goal apiece. David Howdyshell notched his second shutout and made three saves while the Yellow Jacket defense was credited with another save. [STATS]

Sept. 18, BETHEL
NAIA No. 16 Bethel exploded for four second-half goals to put away Cedarville, 5-0, in a non-conference match. It was a tight contest for the majority of the first half before the Pilots found the net in the 42nd minute. Once the visitors scored again nine minutes into the second period they took complete command. Three more goals over the next 20 minutes accounted for the final. Bethel outshot CU 18-8 including a 14-3 advantage in the decisive second half. The Jackets were held to without a shot on goal over the final 45 minutes. [STATS]

Sept. 11, at Roberts Wesleyan (at Roberts Wesleyan Classic)
An own goal with five minutes left in the second overtime gave NAIA No. 21 and unbeaten Roberts Wesleyan a 3-2 victory over Cedarville in the Roberts Wesleyan Classic. The Yellow Jackets, who had not trailed since the first half, dominated the match statistically but suffered the loss when the defense accidentally knocked the ball into their own net in the 105th minute. The Raiders struck first in the 25th minute before Josh Gelser scored on an assist from Jason Blair in the 39th minute to knot the game up. CU took a 2-1 lead into the intermission when Andrew Elliott found the net from Ryan Stutzman in the final minute of the period. The match stayed that way until Roberts tied it in the 68th minute. Cedarville had a 19-6 shot advantage and an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. David Howdyshell was credited with two saves. [STATS]

Sept. 10, Geneva (at Roberts Wesleyan Classic)
Ken Davis scored early and the Yellow Jackets got defensive in a 1-0 victory over previously unbeaten Geneva at the Roberts Wesleyan Classic. It was the first shutout of the season for Cedarville. Davis found the net in the 2nd minute on an assist from Grant Knight. It was the second goal of the season for the freshman forward. After that, the Jacket defense took over and sophomore goalkeeper David Howdyshell finished with seven saves in the match. CU managed six shots on goal against the Golden Tornadoes, who suffered their first loss in four matches. [STATS]

Sept. 7, WILMINGTON
Wilmington netted the game's only goal in the 65th minute for a 1-0 non-conference victory in Cedarville's men's soccer home opener. It was the 48th meeting between the longtime rivals in a series that dates back to 1963 which was the Jackets’ first varsity season. Both teams had nine shots total and each put three on goal, but the Quakers nailed the one that counted. Wilmington, 2-0-1, did not allow a CU shot on goal in the second period. The visitors had a 6-3 edge in corner kicks and were whistled for 16 fouls as compared to 23 for the Yellow Jackets. [STATS]

Sept. 4, Spring Arbor (at Olivet Nazarene Classic)
Pete Dryer registered one goal and an assist to pace Cedarville to a 4-1 victory over Spring Arbor at the Olivet Nazarene Classic. Dryer set up freshman Ken Davis’ first collegiate goal in the 5th minute for an early Yellow Jacket lead. Tyler Schumacher scored eight minutes later from Jason Auyer before Justin Benz tallied a goal in the 42nd minute with Andrew Belleman assisting for a 3-0 halftime lead. After the Cougars scored their lone goal in the 48th minute, Dryer converted a PK 10 minutes later to wrap up the scoring. Dave Howdyshell and Steve Bushre each played a half to share goalkeeping duties. [STATS]

Sept. 3, at Olivet Nazarene (at Olivet Nazarene Classic)
An Olivet Nazarene goal midway through the second half stood up as the Tigers blanked Cedarville, 1-0, on the first day of the Olivet Nazarene Classic. The Yellow Jackets last six setbacks dating back to the 2003 season have all been by 1-0 decisions. The Tigers scored in the 61st minute and then held Cedarville at bay. It was the first win for ONU over the Yellow Jackets in four meetings between the two schools. [STATS]

Aug. 31, at Georgetown
Justin Benz headed home the first goal of the season and the Jackets never trailed as they opened the campaign with a 3-2 non-conference victory at Georgetown. Cedarville is unbeaten in their last eight season openers going 7-0-1 in the process. It was appropriate for Benz to strike the first blow. In his freshman year two years ago, CU also opened the schedule at Georgetown and he started in his collegiate debut. However, Benz suffered a severe knee injury that threatened to end his career. He rehabbed to play a handful of games last season, bounced back to start again in a return trip to Kentucky, and found the net in the 8th minute with Andrew Belleman assisting. The host Tigers deflected a cross from Jason Blair into their net for an own goal in the 25th minute and it stayed 2-0 until the intermission. Georgetown scored off a corner kick just five minutes into the second half, but the Jackets answered when Blair scored from Jon Taylor on a corner kick midway through the period for a 3-1 lead. Georgetown made it interesting by converting a penalty kick in the 73rd minute. CU held a 16-8 shot advantage. Casey Sullivan played all 90 minutes in goal and made three saves. [STATS]