Early-season challenges paying off with conference wins

Box Score

Shiloh Posey figured when he set up the Wayland Baptist women's soccer schedule that the Pioneers might have a tough time in pre-conference play. But Posey wasn't looking to pick up easy early-season wins. Instead, he wanted his young team to gain valuable experience to prepare it for when the Sooner Athletic Conference season rolled around.
 
Well, a rough September is paying off with some smoothing sailing in October.
 
Jessica Bell scored twice and backup goalkeeper Kasey Hayes was flawless as the pair helped the Pioneers to a 4-0 rout of Southwestern Assemblies of God University on a chilly Friday afternoon at J.V. Hilliard Field.
 
"Today's win is really huge. We were in a group of 2-1 teams (in the SAC standings), so this will give us a leg up," Posey said. "It was a total team effort today."
 
The victory lifted Wayland (3-7-1 overall, 3-1 SAC) into a tie for first place with John Brown and USAO in the 10-team league almost midway through the conference regular-season. Not bad for a Pioneer team that was winless in seven outings going into SAC play.
 
"I thought we did a decent job overall," Posey said following Wayland's latest win over the Lions (2-9-1, 0-4). "Their midfielders were pretty technical, very controlled. But I thought we did a good job of matching them."
 
No one could match Bell, who after scoring her first goal of the season in the team's last outing six days earlier scored twice against the Lions. The first was from about 35 yards away on a shot that rolled through SAGU goalkeeper Amber Belisle's hands almost 12 minutes into the match.
 
In the 28^th minute, Jodian Morris made it 2-0 when the speedy junior chipped a high wedge from close to 40 yards away that made it over Belisle's head and into the net.
 
It took the Pioneers only 80 seconds into the second half to go up by three as Bell struck from just inside the box.
 
Posey felt Bell's second goal proved pivotal.
 
"That got us off on the right foot (in the second half) and really put (SAGU) down," the coach said.
 
With 6½ minutes left in the match, sophomore Heather Terbush got in on the scoring frenzy when she headed in her first goal of the season on a cross from Morris, who recorded the lone assist of the evening.
 
"We did a good job of maintaining our intensity throughout the match," Posey said. "Sometimes that's tough to do when you take a big lead."
 
Wayland outshot SAGU 17-9, with 11 of the Pioneers' attempts on goal compared to six for the Lions. Morris got off six of WBU's shots, all but one of which was on target.
 
Hayes was up to the task and saved all six of SAGU's on-goal shots. She was in goal for normal starter Bailey Stengler, who was sidelined with a concussion. It was Hayes' first start of the season after the sophomore had played just 13½ minutes all season.
 
"Our defense did very well, and Casey played lights out," Posey said. "Our defense helped her a lot, but every opportunity Casey had to deal with she did very well with."
 
The coach also was happy with the Pioneer offense, which after scoring six goals in their previous 10 matches finally found its rhythm.
 
"Our forwards were able to make some runs on them. On a couple of them we were half-a-step off, but overall we did very well."
 
The Pioneers next take on St. Gregory's University (2-10-1, 0-5) at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Shawnee, Okla. In a match Friday shortened to 70 minutes due to heavy rain and lightning in Chickasha, Okla., the Cavaliers fell to league-leader USAO (12-1, 3-1) by the same score by which Wayland won on Friday, 4-0.
 
"We're looking forward to our next opportunity," Posey said.
 
After St. Greg's, the Pioneers are back at "The Bowl" to host John Brown at noon Saturday, Oct. 18 in what could be a battle first the league lead.