WAXAHACHIE, Texas --- Sophomore Guillermo Villarreal scored the first goal of the 2011 season for the Wayland Baptist Pioneer men's soccer team, but Southwestern Assemblies of God University rallied for four straight to get the 4-1 season-opening win.
Villarreal of El Paso put the Pioneers on top with a terrific header into the net. The goal came within the first five minutes of the contest on a set play off a great free kick that came in low from the left side by Saman Hassan.
The WBU men dominated play the next 20 minutes and throughout most of the rest of the first period, but SAGU tied it up on a good crossing pass right before intermission.
Things fell apart for the Pioneers in the second period when the Lions put in three more to seal the victory.
It was the first game for the Wayland men under their new coaching staff - head coach Jamath Shoffner and graduate assistant Shermon Gardner.
"It's a start," said Shoffner, who had a successful stint coaching at Montreat College in North Carolina before spending the last four years playing professionally in Europe. "This was our first chance to see the guys in action, and the first time many of these guys have had a chance to play together. Now that we've seen what we have to work with, we know what areas we need to work on."
The Wayland men will make a return trip to the Dallas/Fort Worth area next weekend for two more games. On Saturday evening, they take on Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, and then will make their way east to play Dallas Christian on Monday afternoon.
