#13 Pioneers firm up footing atop SAC standings

Box Score
Taking a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of a soccer match, according to Jamath Shoffner, "can be a blessing and a curse."
 
While that may be true, the Wayland Baptist men's soccer coach no doubt would agree that being up 2-0 is much better than being down 2-0, and Shoffner's 13^th-ranked Pioneers had the fortune of the former on Tuesday night against Texas Wesleyan at J.V. Hilliard Field. Wayland went on to add a pair of late goals and finished off the Rams in convincing fashion, 4-1, as the Pioneers firmed up their footing atop the Sooner Athletic Conference.
 
David Neuberth and Guillermo Villarreal scored Wayland's early goals while Andres Lozano and Javier Parry added the late ones as the Pioneers (12-2-1, 7-1 SAC) won their fourth match in a row while handing Texas Wesleyan (9-5-1, 3-4) its third straight loss and fourth in five matches. The Rams were ranked No. 19 last week before falling out of the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll completely when it was released just prior to Tuesday's match. The Pioneers' ranking did not change.
 
It took Wayland just 34 seconds to score after the Pioneers were granted an early corner kick, which Erik Luzanilla took and served a nice ball into Neuberth.
 
"David's very good in the air and he was able to finish the ball down in the line," Shoffner said of Neuberth's team-leading eighth goal of the season.
 
In essence, the Pioneers scored goals 41 seconds apart as Lozano recorded Wayland's game-winner against John Brown University on Saturday with just seven seconds to go.
 
Shoffner said Wayland's 1-0 lead 34 seconds into the action "gave us confidence right off the bat. It allowed us to settle into the game."
 
Less than nine minutes later, Villarreal recorded his second goal of the season – and first since the season-opener – when he redirected a pass from Miguel Teos into the left side of the goal. With just 9:18 gone, Wayland was on top, 2-0.
 
"Being up 2-0 is a blessing and a curse because then our players start to feel confident because we kept having chances to score but didn't," Shoffner said. "When that happens, you can get too comfortable."
 
Especially when the Rams, who were undefeated in their first seven matches of the season, suddenly picked up their play.
 
"Texas Wesleyan settled in and started playing better and putting pressure on us," Shoffner said.
 
That resulted in what the WBU coach called "a great goal" by the Rams' Maximillian O'Shea 10 minutes before halftime.
 
Trailing 2-1, the Rams came out strong in the second half.
 
"They put even more pressure on us, and we missed a few (scoring) chances," Shoffner said.
 
But then Wayland got one to go. Travis Rovillo played a long ball in and Texas Wesleyan keeper Arnold Martinez miskicked it, leaving an open net. Lozano connected from about 30 yards out for his second goal of the season and second in two matches.
 
"The longer the game went on, Texas Wesleyan played better. We were fortunate to score our third goal," Shoffner said.
 
Now up 3-1 with less than 20 minutes to go, the Rams had to start pressing.
 
"That opened the field up for us," Shoffner said, and Parry took advantage. Teos gained control off of a goal kick and played a through ball to Parry, whose shot was true to the bottom right corner away from the keeper from 20 yards out.  
 
Both teams took four shots in the first half, but the Pioneers outshot the Rams in the second half, 10-3. WBU keeper John-Ramses Thomas, the reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Week, was credited with three saves.
 
The Pioneers play their final regular-season home match against Oklahoma Baptist at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Bison (3-11, 2-6) will be reeling after suffering an 8-0 loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
 
"We always have battles with OBU," Shoffner said. "It's another SAC game, so we know it'll be a challenge."
 
A week after that, the Pioneers end the regular season in Bethany, Okla., against Southwestern Christian (8-5, 3-3).
 
Wayland owns a one-match lead over Science and Arts of Oklahoma and a 1½-game edge over Northwood, which handed the Pioneers their only conference loss. The Pioneers are trying to secure home-field advantage throughout the SAC Tournament, during which matches are played at the higher seed.
 
"We've got to keep it going," Shoffner said.
 
NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll (Oct. 22)

RANK	LAST TIME^	SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)	2013 RECORD	TOTAL POINTS
1	3	Rio Grande (Ohio) (20)	11-1-2	591
2	5	Grand View (Iowa)	13-2-0	557
3	1	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (1)	10-2-2	544
4	6	Benedictine (Kan.)	10-2-1	533
5	7	Ashford (Iowa)	10-3-1	503
6	8	Missouri Valley	11-3-2	493
7	9	Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)	10-4-0	477
8	4	Oklahoma Wesleyan	12-2-0	471
9	2	Belhaven (Miss.)	11-3-1	443
10	10	Hastings (Neb.)	12-2-0	424
11	11	Embry-Riddle (Fla.)	10-1-0	405
12	12	Concordia (Calif.)	9-3-0	381
13	13	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	11-2-1	363
14	16	William Carey (Miss.)	10-3-1	339
15	17	MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)	11-3-2	338
16	14	Baker (Kan.)	9-5-2	286
17	23	Martin Methodist (Tenn.)	7-3-1	274
18	RV	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	10-2-2	232
19	RV	Indiana Wesleyan	11-3-3	196
20	25	Corban (Ore.)	10-0-2	182
21	RV	Bryan (Tenn.)	11-2-0	177
22	18	Biola (Calif.)	9-3-1	165
23	RV	Davenport (Mich.)	14-2-0	148
24	RV	Thomas (Ga.)	10-3-2	141
T25	NR	St. Thomas (Texas)	10-2-2	110
T25	NR	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)	11-2-1	110

Others Receiving Votes: Columbia (Mo.) 93; Midland (Neb.) 77; Marymount (Calif.) 76; Science & Arts (Okla.) 63; Cal State San Marcos 51; Campbellsville (Ky.) 38; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 30; Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 25; Georgia Gwinnett 21; Northwood (Texas) 3; Tennessee Wesleyan 3.
^ 2013 NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll (Oct. 15)