Box Score SAN ANTONIO –
Yago Xavier and
D'Angelo Garcia scored goals to lift Wayland Baptist to an impressive 2-0 win over Our Lady of the Lake University here Sunday afternoon.
The win was the second straight for Wayland and came over a team that went into the match sporting a lofty 4-1 record and riding a three-match win streak, including decisive victories over Sooner Athletic Conference members Mid-America Christian (4-1) and Oklahoma City (3-1). OLLU also defeated SAC member No. 18 Science and Arts of Oklahoma in its season-opener, 3-2.
"They are one of the best teams we've played so far," WBU coach
Cristhian Ospina said. "I'm really proud of the guys. They played really hard and played as a team. That was really positive.
"Their hard work in practice over the past week really paid off."
Sunday's win improved the Pioneers to 4-1-2.
Xavier, a junior from Rio de Janeiro, got Wayland on the board first when he scored 12:25 into the match, assisted by freshman
Christopher Lamorte and
Taval Whittaker.
Wayland clung to the 1-0 lead until the 83
rd minute when Garcia, a senior from Artesia, N.M., put in an insurance goal with an assist by
Taval Whittaker. It was Whittaker's third straight match with an assist, giving him a season-high four on the season.
"A couple of guys off the bench,
D'Angelo Garcia and
Jonathan Luna, came in a really helped us out," Ospina said. "D'Angelo had a great game, and Jonathan played a different position and did a great job."
WBU goalkeeper
Palemon Plancarte made four save in notching his second consecutive and third shutout of the season.
"Palemon came up with two big saves that kept us in the game," Ospina said.
The Saints took a dozen shots, compared to 10 from Wayland, all but three of which were on goal. Xavier took three of WBU's shots. He and Garcia both had two shots on-goal.
"I'm very happy with wins like this when we play together as a team," Ospina said.
The Pioneers next play their final pre-conference match at 4 p.m. (Central) Wednesday against the University of the Southwest (5-1) inn Hobbs, N.M., at New Mexico Junior College.
"They've gotten a lot better," Ospina said of USW, which Wayland defeated in last year's season-opener, 4-0. "We'll try to ride the momentum from this game and keep getting better."
Wayland opens SAC play Sept. 29 in Chickasha, Okla., against USAO.
