2006 Match Recaps
Nov. 20, MidAmerica Nazarene (NCCAA National Tournament - Championship)
MidAmerica Nazarene denied Cedarville its first NCCAA men's soccer championship by blanking the Yellow Jackets, 2-0, in the final. The Pioneers, who also won the title in 2004, took home their second banner in school history. MANU broke a scoreless duel with a goal in the 78th minute and added an insurance goal in the 87th minute. The Pioneers, who ended the year with a six-match winning streak to finish 12-8-1 overall, did not allow a goal in three tournament games and outscored their opposition, 8-0. The Yellow Jackets, 9-11-1, were making their first appearance in the NCCAA championship match in 21 years and their third overall. Cedarville was also the runner-up in 1981 and 1985. [STATS]
Nov. 18, Palm Beach Atlantic (NCCAA National Tournament - Semifinals)
Justin Benz scored in the 8th minute and goalkeeper John Norton turned in his biggest performance of the year as the Yellow Jackets blanked Palm Beach Atlantic, 1-0, in the NCCAA semifinals. Cedarville, 9-10-1 and the #5 seed, squares off with #2 MidAmerica Nazarene in the championship match. Benz netted his sixth goal of the season and second of the tournament on an assist from Jason Cunningham. The CU defense stiffened thanks to the work of Norton, who was called upon to make 10 saves. The Sailfish outshot the Jackets 14-4 overall and 10-2 in shots on goal. It will be Cedarville's third appearance in the NCCAA championship match and their first in 21 years. The Jackets have finished as the runner-up both times after dropping 2-1 decisions to The King's College in 1985 and to Messiah in 1981. [STATS]
Nov. 17, Master's (NCCAA National Tournament - First Round)
Ken Davis scored early in overtime to give #5 seed Cedarville a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over #4 Master's in the first round of the NCCAA National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets, 8-10-1, face #8 Palm Beach Atlantic in the semifinals. The Sailfish advanced past #1 seed and defending champion Mid-Continent on penalty kicks. Davis scored in the 93rd minute on assists from Grant Knight and Iain Bryant. The junior forward assisted on the tying goal in the 81st minute when Justin Benz got the Jackets even. Master's, 7-10-2, got on the board first in the 18th minute. Junior goalkeeper Jon Norton came up big stopping two breakaways including one with 40 seconds left in regulation. He finished with three saves in the match. [STATS]
Nov. 10, SPRING ARBOR (NCCAA Midwest Region Championship)
Top-seeded Cedarville erupted for five second-half goals to put away Spring Arbor, 5-0, in the NCCAA Midwest Region final. The Yellow Jackets, 7-10-1, won their fourth region banner in head coach Ben Belleman's six-year tenure and head to Kissimmee, Fla. for the national tournament. The two teams were locked up in a scoreless battle until the 60th minute when a free kick by Jon Taylor was deflected into the net by a Spring Arbor defender for an own goal. Once Grant Knight scored ten minutes later on assists from Jesse Fox and Justin Benz, the flood gates opened. Jason Cunningham buried an unassisted goal in the 80th minute, Fox sailed one into the upper 90 from Taylor in the 83rd minute, and freshman Matt VandeKopple finished the rally with Jordan Leach assisting in the 87th minute. Cedarville outshot the Cougars 14-9 overall and 11-4 in shots on goal. John Norton made four saves in goal for his third shutout of the season. Spring Arbor drops to 15-7. [STATS]
Oct. 28, MALONE
Ken Davis figured in on every Yellow Jacket goal as Cedarville closed out the regular season with a 5-0 victory over Malone in an AMC South Division match. Now the Jackets, 6-10-1 overall and 4-4 AMC, await word on an NCCAA Midwest Region playoff assignment. Davis finished with a career-high seven points on two goals and three assists. He netted an unassisted goal in the 29th minute for the lone tally of the first half. CU then pumped in four goals in a span of 13 minutes to put the match away. Justin Benz headed in a Davis cross in the 48th minute. That was followed by Jon Taylor scoring from Davis, who in turn recorded his second score from Grant Knight. Jesse Fox benefitted from Davis' third assist to close out the scoring in the 61st minute. The Jackets had a 33-10 advantage in the shots category including a 24-6 bulge in the second half alone. Cedarville put 17 shots on goal compared to three for the Pioneers. John Norton and David Howdyshell combined for the shutout in goal. Malone drops to 6-8-2 and 0-7-1 AMC. [STATS]
Oct. 24, OHIO DOMINICAN
NAIA No. 24 Ohio Dominican used three unanswered goals to beat Cedarville, 3-2, in AMC South Division action. The Jackets got on the board first when Stephen Cobucci notched his team-high sixth goal of the season 3:30 into the match off a scramble in the box. The Panthers, 12-4-1 overall and 6-1 AMC, recovered for goals in the 13th, 25th, and 39th minutes. Cedarville made it interesting when Jesse Fox buried his first goal of the season with 2:44 left on a give-and-go inside the box with Jon Taylor assisting. CU drops to 5-10-1 and 3-4 AMC. [STATS]
Oct. 21, at Mid-Continent
Mid-Continent proved to be too much for the Yellow Jackets in a 4-0 non-conference decision. The Cougars, 10-2-3, put the match away with three quick scores early in the second half. MCU netted the lone goal of the first half in the 25th minute. The Cougars then strung three goals together in a seven-minute span at the 54th, 56th, and 61st marks. Cedarville, 5-9-1, was outshot 24-3 overall and 11-1 in shots on goal. [STATS]
Oct. 14, at Walsh
Stephen Cobucci tallied a goal and an assist as Cedarville ended a rugged week with their second straight win in a 2-1 decision at Walsh in an AMC South Division match. The Yellow Jackets, 5-8-1 overall, squared their league record at 3-3 while the host Cavaliers, 8-5 and 2-3 AMC, had their two-match winning streak stopped. Jon Taylor, who scored in the 3rd minute two days earlier in an OT win against Tiffin, struck early again to give CU the momentum just two minutes into the match on a Cobucci assist. The Jackets took a 2-0 lead on Cobucci's team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 16th minute from Jason Buckley. The Cavs converted a penalty kick in the 22nd minute and that was it for the scoring. Cedarville outshot Walsh 12-10 for the match, but the Cavs held a 5-3 edge in shots on goal. CU keeper John Norton was credited with four saves. After opening the week with a 5-0 setback at NAIA No. 1 Rio Grande, the Jackets bounced back with victories over Tiffin, who is ranked No. 5 in NAIA Region IX, and Walsh, ranked 3rd in the region. [STATS]
Oct. 12, TIFFIN
Grant Knight scored five minutes into overtime to give Cedarville a stunning 3-2 victory over Tiffin in an AMC South Division contest. Knight streaked inside the right half of the box after taking a pass from Jason Cunningham and tucked a hard shot into the left corner of the net for his third goal of the season. The Yellow Jackets, 4-8-1 overall and 2-3 AMC, never trailed in the contest while handing the Dragons, 9-3 and 3-1 AMC, their first setback in the league. Jon Taylor got loose on a breakaway just 2:28 into the contest for his first goal of the campaign off an assist from Justin Benz. Tiffin got the equalizer in the 43rd minute. Ryan Lustig headed home a free kick from Jesse Fox in the 70th minute, but the Dragons responded again 11 minutes later. Tiffin ricocheted a ball off the post only 15 seconds into overtime and missed a one-on-one with the keeper before Knight's heroics. The visitors outshot CU 26-13 overall and 12-8 in shots on goal. John Norton came up with nine saves and Jordan Leach blocked another potential score from crossing the line. [STATS]
Oct. 10, at Rio Grande
NAIA No. 1 Rio Grande clamped down on the Yellow Jackets for a 5-0 AMC South Division victory. The Redmen improved to 12-1 overall and 5-0 AMC while CU dips to 3-8-1 and 1-3 AMC. The Redmen scored twice within three minutes midway through the first half and then took a 3-0 lead with just 27 seconds left in the period. Goals in the 66th and 85th minutes completed the scoring. Rio outshot the Jackets 25-2 overall and 17-0 in shots on goal. John Norton played the first half in the nets and stopped seven shots while David Howdyshell played his first varsity action in two years by making five saves over the final 45 minutes. [STATS]
Oct. 7, NOTRE DAME (Ohio)
Jason Buckley's first career goal was all Cedarville needed in a 1-0 victory over Notre Dame College in front of more than 1,200 fans at the annual Homecoming match. Both teams' overall records stand equal at 3-7-1 during the type of season that neither was expecting. NDC, 16-4-2 last year, is the defending American Mideast Conference North Division champion while the Yellow Jackets, who were 15-4-1 in 2005, was the AMC South runner-up. Two of CU's four losses came at the hands of the Falcons - in the season opener and in the NAIA Region IX semifinals. This time, each squad came into the contest looking for a boost and it was the hosts who broke the scoreless deadlock in the 69th minute. Jason Cunningham delivered a free kick from midfield onto the foot of Buckley at the top of the box, who in turn tucked a shot through traffic inside the far post. The AMC members managed 12 shots apiece with Notre Dame placing six on goal compared to five for Cedarville. John Norton made six saves en route to his second shutout of the campaign. [STATS]
Oct. 3, at Urbana
Urbana scored twice in the final seven minutes to shock the Yellow Jackets, 3-2, in an AMC South Division match. Cedarville, 2-7-1 overall and 1-2 AMC, has dropped seven of their last eight outings with six of those by a one-goal difference. The Blue Knights, 9-3 and 1-2 AMC, struck first in the 39th minute. CU answered in the 63rd minute when Justin Benz scored a goal in his third straight contest on an assist from Jason Cunningham. The Jackets then took the lead in the 82nd minute when Grant Knight found the net off a corner kick from Ryan Lustig. However, Urbana rallied with goals in the 83rd and 87th minutes to steal away the victory. [STATS]
Sept. 30, at Mount Vernon Nazarene
Mount Vernon Nazarene redirected a corner kick into the net in the 86th minute to beat Cedarville, 2-1, in an AMC South Division match. Justin Benz put the Yellow Jackets on the board first with a goal in the 14th minute on an assist from Jordan Leach. The Cougars, 5-5-1 overall and 2-1 AMC, got the equalizer just 56 seconds later on a direct kick. MVNU outshot the Jackets 13-10 for the match including an 11-4 edge in the second half. The hosts put seven shots on goal compared to five for Cedarville, 2-6-1 and 1-1 AMC. John Norton was credited with four saves. [STATS]
Sept. 29, SHAWNEE STATE
Cedarville ended a frustrating five-game losing streak with a convincing 6-0 decision over Shawnee State to open the AMC South Division schedule. Six different players scored in the match for the Yellow Jackets, who improve to 2-5-1 overall. Ryan Lustig got the scoring underway in the 12th minute with an assist from Elliot Moore. Stephen Cobucci netted his team-high fourth goal of the season in the 25th minute from Ken Davis and Grant Knight followed three minutes later off a pass from Davis. It was 3-0 at the intermission and the score remained that way until CU buried three scores in a span of 3:30 late in the match. Justin Benz got his first goal of the season in the 83rd minute from Phil Shimer. Lustig and Jason Buckley set up Jordan Leach in the 85th minute while Caleb Trittipoe scored just 90 seconds later from Josh Gelser and Ryan Chaney. The Jackets peppered 33 shots toward the opposing net while the Bears managed just four. Cedarville racked up a 23-1 bulge in shots on goal and a 9-2 edge in corner kicks. John Norton was credited with his first career shutout after being called upon to make just one save. [STATS]
Sept. 19, at Wittenberg
Wittenberg scored four minutes into overtime to grab a 2-1 victory over the Yellow Jackets in a non-conference match. It marked the fifth consecutive time that the two local rivals have played a match that went into overtime. Cedarville, 1-5-1, got on the board first when Ken Davis netted his third goal of the season in the 40th minute with assists from Jason Buckley and Justin Benz. The Jackets held the Tigers off until they produced the equalizer in the 83rd minute. Wittenberg, 4-4-1, held the advantage in overall shots (17-13), shots on goal (9-6), and corner kicks (8-2). CU keeper John Norton made seven saves. [STATS]
Sept. 16, HOUGHTON - (Dave Jones Memorial Classic)
Houghton extended Cedarville's skid to four straight with a 2-0 victory over the Jackets in the Dave Jones Memorial Classic. CU, 1-4-1, has not dropped four games in a row since losing five straight early in the 1998 campaign. The Highlanders, 1-5-1 overall while battling through a rugged non-conference schedule, netted the only goal they needed in the 7th minute. The Yellow Jackets hammered one ball off the crossbar in the first half, but trailed 2-0 at the intermission when Houghton scored again in the 33rd minute. The visitors outshot Cedarville 17-14 overall and 9-4 in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper John Norton made seven saves. NAIA No. 17 Bethel (Ind.) gunned down Ohio Dominican, 4-1, in the first match of the evening. [STATS]
Sept. 15, BETHEL (Ind.) - (Dave Jones Memorial Classic)
NAIA No. 17 Bethel (Ind.) handed the Yellow Jackets their third straight setback, 2-1, on the opening night of the First Dave Jones Memorial Classic. Ohio Dominican rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Houghton, 3-2, in the first match. The visiting Pilots needed just 28 seconds to break into the scoring column. Cedarville put two balls off the crossbar in the opening frame, but trailed 1-0 at the intermission. Bethel netted what proved to be the game winner in the 62nd minute. Stephen Cobucci headed in his third goal of the campaign with 1:22 remaining on an Andrew Elliott assist from a restart about 65 yards from the goal. The Pilots, 3-1-1, held the edge in overall shots (16-13) and shots on goal (6-4). The Yellow Jackets, 1-3-1, had a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks. The Dave Jones Memorial Classic honors the former Yellow Jacket, who played soccer at Cedarville from 1980 to 1983. He was a two-time team captain and an all-district performer. A Navy helicopter pilot, Jones lost his life on August 9, 1992 while on maneuvers near the Kuwait-Iraq border. A soccer scholarship, awarded to either a CU men's or women's soccer player, is also named in his memory. [STATS]
Sept. 12, at Indiana Wesleyan
Indiana Wesleyan scored in the 87th minute to deal the Yellow Jackets a 2-1 non-conference setback. The Wildcats, 4-0-1, remain unbeaten while Cedarville falls to 1-2-1. IWU began the scoring in the 14th minute. Stephen Cobucci netted his second goal of the season unassisted in the 26th minute to knot the score until the hosts produced the game winner. Cedarville outshot the Wildcats 16-13 overall and 9-5 in shots on goal. John Norton recorded three saves in goal. [STATS]
Sept. 9, at Illinois Tech
Illinois Tech rode the momentum of an early goal to hand Cedarville a 3-2 non-conference setback. The Yellow Jackets' record stands at 1-1-1. The Scarlet Hawks, 3-1, scored in the 2nd minute and never trailed. Stephen Cobucci tied the contest in the 16th minute on a pass from Iain Bryant, however, Illinois Tech regained the lead for good in the next minute. The hosts pushed the difference to 3-1 three minutes into the second period before Phil Shimer scored unassisted in the 65th minute. The Hawks put eight shots on goal compared to seven for CU. [STATS]
Sept. 8, at Trinity International
Ken Davis scored twice, including the winner in the second overtime, to give CU a 2-1 victory at Trinity International. It was the second time in the last four matches that the junior forward has won a game in the second extra session. The Trojans took the lead with a goal in the 20th minute and the score remained 1-0 until deep into the match. Davis scored unassisted in the 83rd minute to tie it and then provided the winner in the 106th minute off a pass from Elliot Moore. The Yellow Jackets, 1-0-1, outshot the hosts 16-13 overall and recorded a 7-5 edge in shots on goal. CU keeper John Norton registered four saves. In the next to last to game of 2005, Davis headed home a goal in the second overtime of a 2-1 win versus Ohio Dominican in the American Mideast Conference Tournament. [STATS]
Sept. 2, SIENA HEIGHTS
The Yellow Jackets came up with a goal late in regulation to tie unbeaten Siena Heights, 1-1, in their season opener. It's the second time in three years that CU has started the schedule with a draw. The Saints came to town with a 3-0 record and battled Cedarville to a scoreless deadlock before they netted a goal in the 73rd minute. The Jackets came up with the equalizer in the 87th minute when freshman Matt VandeKopple went high to head in a pass from Nate Ennis following a throw in from Jason Cunningham. Both VandeKopple and Ennis were making their debut in a CU uniform. Each team managed two shots apiece in the 20 minutes of overtime but neither seriously threatened. Siena Heights had the advantage in overall shots (11-9) and shots on goal (4-3). Yellow Jacket keeper John Norton, playing in his first varsity contest, made three saves. [STATS]
