Wake Forest topples OSU in final

Zack Schilawski’s goal
delivered a 2-1 win over Ohio State in the NCAA final.

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Zack Schilawski scored the winning goal in his return to his hometown, lifting Wake Forest to a 2-1 victory over Ohio State in the NCAA College Cup soccer championship Sunday.

Schilawski snapped a 1-1 tie in the 77th minute to help his team win the first NCAA men’s soccer title in school history.

The second-seeded Demon Deacons (22-2-2), who had been 0-2-1 when trailing at halftime this season, rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit.

Schilawski, who assisted on a goal by Marcus Tracy in Wake Forest’s 2-0 victory over Virginia Tech in the semifinals, scored the winning goal against the Buckeyes on a feed from Tracy.

Tracy powered his way through two defenders on the right flank, then ‘juked’ past Doug Verhoff before crossing a pass to the middle of the field. Schilawski, a prep star at Cary High School, beat Ohio State goalkeeper Casey Latchem with a one-hop shot just inside the right post.

Fifth-seeded Ohio State (17-4-5), which was playing in the College Cup for the first time in school history, entered the game undefeated when scoring first this season and unbeaten when leading at halftime. But the Buckeyes couldn’t hold on after Roger Espinoza gave them a lead with a goal in the 13th minute.

Ohio State had a 15-game unbeaten streak snapped.

Tracy scored the equalizer for Wake Forest in the 66th minute, his 11th goal of the season and third of the College Cup after a hustle play by teammate Cody Arnoux.

Arnoux poked the ball away from an Ohio State player in the midfield, then raced toward the right sideline in an effort to keep the ball from rolling out of bounds. He saved it, charged into the box along the right flank and sent a cross along the ground toward the streaking Tracy, who converted into the upper-right corner of the net.