BETHANY, Okla. – Needing a road win in their regular-season finale against a Top 25 opponent, the Wayland Baptist men's soccer team came through in the clutch.
The 11
th-ranked Pioneers notched a 3-1 victory over 21
st-ranked Southwestern Christian here Saturday afternoon to secure at least a share of the Sooner Athletic Conference championship and the top seed throughout the upcoming SAC Tournament.
After dropping an emotional 1-0 decision to Science and Arts of Oklahoma on Tuesday that halted Wayland's 16-match home win streak, the Pioneers earned one of their most fulfilling victories of the season with a short-handed roster.
The Pioneers (12-3, 7-2 SAC) enjoyed a 2-0 halftime lead thanks to a pair of first-half goals by
James Westfield.
James Quinn assisted on the first on a breakaway 12½ minutes in, while Danny Torres assisted the second with a ball over the top some five minutes before the break.
After three two-goal games last season, this was Westfield's first of 2018, giving him six goals total.
Southwestern Christian (13-3-1, 5-2-1) showed it wasn't going down easily when the Eagles scored just 17 seconds into the second half, cutting their deficit in half.
Wayland got it back, though, when
Federico Ucar headed it into the back of the net on a set piece in the 63
rd minute. Quinn again picked up the assist.
The Pioneers held an 18-11 edge in goals and held a 12-4 margin in shots on-goal. Westfield, Molley Karpeh,
Adir Versano and
Chris Eduardo took three shots each with all of Westfield's and Eduardo's on target.
The victory assured Wayland at least a share of its third straight SAC title. Depending on Oklahoma City's (11-3, 6-2) outcome Tuesday at home against Southwestern Christian, the Pioneers may have to share the crown with the Stars if they win. If that that happens, however, Wayland will be the No. 1 seed for the tournament because of its 2-0 victory over OCU.
The Pioneers open the SAC Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 3 against the No. 8 seed. Their opponent will be Southwestern Assemblies of God University (6-11-1, 3-6), unless Texas Wesleyan (6-8-1, 2-5-1) lost its final regular-season match Saturday at last-place Bacone (0-8, 0-8). Results were not immediately available.
The Pioneers defeated SAGU in the regular-season on Oct. 2 in Plainview, 2-0.
The SAC Tournament bracket will be released Tuesday upon the conclusion of the final regular-season match between Southwestern Christian and Oklahoma City.
