CHICKASHA, Okla. – Hoping to repeat one of their biggest wins in program history, the Wayland Baptist women's soccer team instead dropped a disappointing 5-1 decision to Science & Arts of Oklahoma in the first round of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament here Friday night.
"We didn't show up when we needed to," Wayland coach
Shiloh Posey said.
The defending conference tournament champion Drovers (14-4-1), ranked the equivalent of 34
th in the NAIA and seeded third, scored two goals in the first few minutes of each half to deliver a shock to the sixth-seeded Pioneers' system.
"The first three minutes of each half killed us," Posey said. "I don't know what happened."
Four different Drovers – Christina Ramos, Mackenzie Holub, Emma Antill and Emma Rice – notched the goals. A fifth, Reilly Anderson, scored in the 80
th minute.
Wayland's lone goal was scored on a header by
Madison McComasky in the 73
rd minute, following a corner kick by
Jennika Appelberg.
That was one of just five shots by Wayland (9-7-1), compared to 27 for USAO. Delivered by five different Pioneers, four of WBU's shots were on-goal. In addition to McComasky, other on-target attempts were by Appelberg,
Megan Attenborough and
Lucy Chavez. Leading scorer
Taylor Moore did not give off a shot.
"They dominated us all night long," Posey said. "The last five or six minutes of the first half and a portion of the second half we played well and did a few good things, but when you put yourself behind the 8-ball like we did, it takes a lot of luck and extra work.
"I have not seen us play like that all season."
In their next-to-last match of the regular-season on Oct. 23 in Plainview, Wayland defeated USAO, then ranked No. 16, 1-0. It was the highest-ranked opponent the Pioneers had ever beaten.
The Drovers move on to face second-seeded Oklahoma City, which eliminated Mid-America Christian, 4-1. OCU is ranked the equivalent of 31
st.
Other scores Friday had fourth-seeded, 24
th-ranked John Brown blanking Central Christian, 5-0, and top-seeded Texas Wesleyan, ranked 21
st, taking out Southwestern Christian, 2-0.
Wayland, meanwhile, ends its season with the second-most wins in school history. The nine victories come in behind only the 13 posted by the 13-6-1 team in 2013.
"In time we'll be able to look back and appreciate what the girls have done this season," Posey said.
