Pioneers' plans to host tourney match foiled

Box Score Needing to win their remaining two matches and get some help in order to have a shot at hosting a first-round conference tournament match, the Wayland Baptist men's soccer team got neither on Wednesday afternoon at Hilliard Field.
 
Wayland dropped a 2-0 decision to Oklahoma City University, leaving the Pioneers (7-6-2, 3-5-0 SAC) three matches behind the Stars (6-8-0, 6-2-0) with only one match remaining. After Saturday's 7:30 p.m. home contest against Southwestern Christian in the regular-season finale, the Pioneers will be hitting the road for their opening match of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
Against OCU, Wayland surrendered goals to two Stars players – Fabian Henningsen and Henrik Verolet – who hadn't scored all season. Henningsen struck first with almost 30 minutes gone in the match, then Verolet gave the Stars an insurance goal in the 62^nd minute.
 
Wayland got off more shots than OCU, 13-11, with six different Pioneers recording attempts, led by Travis Somersall and Jonathan Luna with three each. Luna, with two shots on-goal, was the only WBU player with more than one as five Pioneers managed at least one on-target attempt.
 
Palemon Plancarte was credited with three saves.
 
Wayland will have its hands full again Saturday with Southwestern Christian (12-5-0, 6-2-0), which is tied for third place in the SAC standings with OCU behind 10^th-ranked USAO and John Brown. The Eagles, who had received Top 25 votes prior to this week's poll, defeated OCU 4-3 before losses to USAO (4-3 in overtime) and John Brown (4-1). Southwestern Christian bounced back with convincing wins over Bacone (5-2) and Mid-America Christian (5-1).