Offense comes to life in 6-0 blowout

Box Score Shiloh Posey told his Wayland women's soccer team at halftime of Tuesday afternoon's match against Southwestern Christian not to leave the outcome to chance and to, "Take the game over."
 
It's safe to say they did.
 
After a scoreless first half, the Pioneers exploded for six second-half goals and blanked the visiting Eagles in Sooner Athletic Conference play Tuesday afternoon at Hilliard Field, 6-0.
 
"That was much-needed," Posey said.
 
Five Pioneers – Madysen Zamora, Gabby Maguire, Zeltzin Gutierrez, Iris Nevarez and Jasmin Gonzalez – notched their first goals of the season. Chelsea Beaubouef was the only player who had scored previously all season, and she tallied her team-high fourth goal of the year.
 
"To be honest, I don't know where it came from," said Posey, whose team has been shut out eight times this year. "We talked some about holding a steady, mental toughness even if outside circumstances were not going well. I felt like they showed some of that today. I hope what we talked about they were able to apply."
 
It was the most productive offensive showing in the program's last 35 matches and wound up as the fifth-most goals the Pioneers (4-9, 3-4 SAC) have scored in their 14-year history.
 
The first goal, by Zamora at the 57:08 mark, came on a free kick from 25 yards out that was played over the Eagle keeper's head. Maguire scored hers in the 64^th minute on a 40-yard bomb that also sailed over the keeper's head. Five minutes later, the only assisted goal of the match came on a corner by Beaubouef on which Gutierrez connected.
 
Wayland scored its next three goals in a span of just four minutes, 20 seconds.
 
Beaubouef made it 4-0 in the 86^th minute when she dribbled past three Eagles then beat the keeper from short range. Less than two minutes after that Nevarez was credited with a goal on a ping-pong play in front of the SCU goal, then 2½ minutes later Gonzalez finished up the scoring when she scored after a rebound.
 
Posey said he told his team at halftime not to get frustrated after battling the Eagles (4-10, 1-6) to a scoreless standstill.
 
"They stayed with it. I told them they had the opportunity to set the tone and to be mentally strong and just continue to keep doing what you know to do. They finally got to a point where winning meant enough to them that they gave everything it took to make it happen. They didn't worry about whether they could make it through the second half."
 
That despite an early injury to Stone Graham that left the Pioneers with just one substitute the majority of the match. Several other injuries almost took others out of action.
 
"A couple of times I was breathing pretty hard. Thankfully we made it through," Posey said. "I think our girls figured they might as well go for it, and that was a big piece of what happened today."
 
It was the most goals for the Pioneers since a 7-0 win over Bacone late in the 2015 season. The only other times Wayland has scored more than five goals occurred twice against Dallas Christian (11-0 in 2012 and 12-0 in 2011) and once against College of the Southwest (7-0 in 2007).
 
Eight of Wayland's 10 shots were on-goal, while Pioneer keeper Erin Moon recorded three saves, on SCU's seven shots, in logging her second shutout of the season.
 
Posey said the win "pretty much guarantees us a place in the playoffs." The top eight teams qualify for the SAC Tournament, and the Pioneers are solidly in seventh place having already beaten three of the four teams behind them in the standings. "Anything beyond this increases our opportunity to move up the ladder."
 
Wayland has the next six days off to prepare for its next match against the other team behind the Pioneers in the standings, St. Gregory's, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24. It's the final home match of the season for WBU, which ends the regular-season with two road matches, and will serve as Senior Night. The Cavaliers (5-7-1, 1-4-1), which lost to No. 21 John Brown 3-0 on Tuesday, are holding down the last SAC Tournament qualifying spot.