Tuesday's 1-0 win was a whole lot tougher to secure than the one they picked up over the weekend, but this latest victory over Texas Wesleyan no doubt was much more satisfying for the Wayland Baptist women's soccer team.
After benefiting from a forfeit win (which goes in the books as 1-0) over Bacone College on Saturday, the Pioneers won by that same score in their Sooner Athletic Conference opener against the Rams on Tuesday at Hilliard Field. It's actually the third straight 1-0 win for Wayland, having defeated Texas-Permian Basin by that score on Sept. 15.
"Every person had a hand in this win because the way we practice reflects in the way we play, and the effort every day that all of them give during practice paid off tonight," Wayland coach
Shiloh Posey said.
The Pioneers got on the board just 2 minutes, 31 seconds into the match on a goal by
Taylor Moore then made it hold up the rest of the way as Wayland improved to 6-2-1 and 1-0 in the SAC.
Moore scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season on a 20-yard shot from the left side of the box into the right top corner. After a throw-in by
Estefany Gonzalez,
Kayla Ortiz popped the ball over a defender's head to Moore, and the junior transfer from San Angelo eluded one Ram to get herself free, then fired just out of reach of the Texas Wesleyan keeper. It was the first assist of the season for Ortiz.
Wayland outshot Texas Wesleyan (5-3, 0-1), 16-13, with Moore taking five shots,
Megan Attenborough four and Ortiz and Gonzalez three each.
"I'm very grateful for the effort from each and every player," Posey said.
WBU goalkeeper
Jennette Guia recorded four saves to log her second shutout in as many matches for the late-arriving junior transfer. Wesleyan's Tameir Grosvenor, a 5-foot-2 sophomore who had 23 goals last season as a freshman and ranks ninth in the NAIA this season with 11, took nine shots but was denied adding to her impressive season total.
Posey said the Pioneers went into the match a bit under the weather, but managed to overcome it.
"We are battling sickness as well as some minor injuries, but the ladies showed a lot of tenacity and willingness to play beyond the way they may have felt. I'll just say that I'm very proud of the full-game effort from each person, because it would take too much space to single out each individual. Suffice it to say that it's very satisfying to see their efforts result in the win.
"Watching them enjoy the day was very rewarding for me."
It was the Pioneers' first win over Texas Wesleyan since their first meeting in 2002. Since then, Wayland had gone 0-9-1 against the Rams, who won last season in Fort Worth, 6-1.
Wayland hits the road for its next match at noon Saturday against Mid-America Christian in Oklahoma City. Besides Bacone, the Evangels (3-4, 0-1) are the only SAC team with a sub.-500 record. MACU lost its conference-opener Tuesday at home to No. 5 John Brown (8-1), 6-0.
Posey and the Pioneers won't be taking the Evangels lightly.
"We have another tough game on Saturday, but we plan to give our best effort and hope for a similar result as tonight," the coach said.
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