DELAWARE, Ohio -- With Mike Smyser's goal in the first five minutes of play and an urelenting defensive effort, Rose-Hulman pulled off the biggest upset in program history with Saturday's 1-0 win against No. 1 and previously undefeated Ohio Wesleyan in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament.
Rose-Hulman (12-5-5) advances to the NCAA sectional round.
Smyser scored the match's lone goal in just the fifth minute of play, taking a cross from the left from Ben Green to the top right of the box. Smyser made one move and found the lower left corner to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead that would hold until halftime.
Ohio Wesleyan (19-1-3) controlled much of the first half after the score, as the Bishops outshot Rose-Hulman by a 23-4 margin. Engineers junior keeper Drew Miller tallied all of his three saves in the first half to help his squad keep the lead.
With the wind at the their backs in the second half, the Engineers' back line of Andrew Bartush, Spencer Johnson, Nick Kowalkowski and Max Brown held strong despite a barrage of crosses and shots from the Bishops in the final minutes.
