Box Score
In what was the very definition of a thriller, the Wayland Baptist men's soccer team – behind senior
Yago Xavier's goal in the second overtime – dethroned No.12 John Brown University on Saturday afternoon at Hilliard Field, 4-3.
The win leaves the Pioneers (10-3-1, 6-0-0 SAC) alone in first place in the conference and allows Wayland to control its destiny for the final two regular-season matches. If they win them both Wayland will secure its first-ever outright league title and earn the right to host all of its conference tournament matches.
The Pioneers and Golden Eagles (11-3-0, 5-1-1) played evenly throughout the afternoon until JBU's Kelvin Omondi, the goal-leader in the SAC, tacked on his 12
th of the season in the 20
th minute.
As John Brown took the 1-0 lead into the half, Pioneer coach
Cristhian Ospina reassured his team was prepared and focused for adversity.
"They are scoring on our mistakes," Ospina said he told his team. "If we take them out and come together as a team, we can win."
Once the second half started, the back-and-forth scoring began.
WBU senior
Ezequiel Amestoy didn't waste any time, striking in the 53
rd minute from just in front of the goalkeeper to tie the match at one.
In the 65
th minute, JBU's Conner Haney answered with a launch from the center to put the Golden Eagles back up, 2-1.
Just one short minute later, WBU senior
Taval Whittaker added to his total as the all-time leading scorer in Pioneer history with his ninth goal of the season.
The change of pace came when Amestoy headed in another goal in the 76
th minute to give the Pioneers their first lead of the day, 3-2. It was Amestoy's sixth of the season.
Soon after, however, Golden Eagles Giovani Bejarano (79
th minute) tied it once again.
With the score knotted at 3, the match went into overtime, and after the first OT, a tie was still the prognosis.
Four minutes into the second overtime, Xavier received a touch from Amestoy in front of the net that pushed past the goalkeeper and clinched the match for the Pioneers.
"We haven't reached our peak yet," Ospina said about his team's capabilities for the season. "I'm really proud of my guys. Their hard work is paying off."
The Pioneers' focus will be directed to a matchup at 4 p.m. Tuesday against fourth-place Southwestern Christian. The Eagles (10-3-2, 4-1-2) tied with Bacone on Saturday, 1-1.
Ospina is prepared for another fight against the Eagles, who are two games out of first place.
"They will be more physical," he said. "We have to concentrate."
Wayland then wraps up the regular-season next Saturday afternoon at third-place Oklahoma City University (11-3-0, 5-1-0).
Both Southwestern Christian and OCU are receiving Top 25 votes, so Ospina knows there is still lots of work left to do for the Pioneers.
"We haven't won anything yet."
