Pioneers clinch SAC title, bid to nationals

Box Score
 
The Wayland Baptist men's soccer team drummed the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 6-0, in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship match Saturday night at Hilliard Field to earn their first-ever SAC title. Also with the win, the Pioneers qualified for the NAIA National Championships for the first time in the eight-year history of the program.
 
"I'm happy," Pioneers coach Cristhian Ospina said of the historic win. "I'm really happy for the guys. We accomplished our first two goals by winning the SAC regular-season and the tournament. We're going to keep working hard and stay hungry."
 
Saturday's win also gave the Pioneers (14-3-3) a program record for most wins in a season.
The top-seeded Pioneers, ranked the equivalent of 28th, and Drovers (12-8-1) played to a scoreless, double-overtime tie earlier in the season. Saturday's rematch was nothing like that one, at least not for Wayland.
 
A penalty kick resulting from a foul on the USAO keeper helped Taval Whittaker get Wayland on the board in the fifth minute of action. It was Whittaker's 12th goal of the season.
 
Soon after, forward Ezequiel Amestoy took the last of three shots from his teammates in the 13th minute to put WBU up 2-0. It was Amestoy's seventh goal.
 
Seven minutes later, James Quinn scored the last goal of the first period.
 
"We just came out strong," Ospina said of the Pioneers' performance in the first 45 minutes.
 
With a 3-0 lead going into the half, Wayland went on cruise control in the second but still managed to add a few more insurance goals.
 
Those came from Guillermo Deal (51st minute), Quinn (58th minute) and Emmanuel Emmas (80th minute). Deal's goal was his 14th, Quinn's fifth, and Emmas' seventh.
 
"Everybody did their job," Ospina said. "We're a team that can play on the floor, in the air and be physical. We can do anything."
 
The Pioneers out-shot the Drovers, 22-6.
 
"We had a good game plan and it paid off," Ospina said.
 
The SAC Coach of the Year also acknowledged his assistants – Miguel Teos, Dean Johnson and John-Ramses Thomas – for the tremendous help they've given Ospina throughout the season.
 
"This was for the coaches," he said. "They gave me the award. It was because of them."
 
With the win, the Pioneers automatically qualify for the 58th NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship. The bracket show, held at noon Monday, will reveal the field and first-round pairings, which will be played at campus sites Nov. 19. Winners advance to the 16-team final site to be held Nov. 28-Dec. 3 in Delray Beach, Fla.
 
Monday's selection show can be viewed at
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/portal.htm?eventId=326191&streamType=video