AUSTIN –
Robert Ssejjemba called it his team's most well-rounded match so far this season, and it resulted in Wayland Baptist's most lopsided victory as the Pioneer men's soccer team posted a 4-0 victory over Huston-Tillotson here Friday night.
"We managed both halves really, really well," Ssejjemba said. "Our goals came at the right time. We were dominant on the ball the whole game."
Junior
Hector Romero scored the first goal for the Pioneers (3-0-1). Romero made a solo run and "was under a lot of pressure but managed to get a shot off" outside the box.
Later in the first half, senior Santiago Pereyda stuffed the ball in after
Adir Versano worked it to him from the right side. It was Pereyda's first goal of the season.
The scored stayed 2-0 until after halftime when senior
James Westfield took a long ball from
Jesus Martinez and put it over the keeper's head for his team-leading third goal of 2019.
Finally, junior
Stefano Pesce notched his first goal of the season on a direct free kick from just outside the box, bending the ball around the defensive wall.
Ssejjemba said every time Wayland takes the field, "We want to get a step closer to where we need to be, and today I thought we did. The backfield played really tight, the midfield moved the ball really well, and our forwards were really pressing."
The coach said all of the Pioneers got to play, "which is always good for confidence. We had good support from the players off the bench.
"It was a really good performance overall."
The Rams fell to 2-2. HTU previously defeated SAC member Southwestern Assemblies of God University, 2-1, and McMurry, 3-0, while falling to Southwestern, 1-0.
Wayland now returns home for its next match against Howard Payne, set for 6 p.m. Tuesday after the women's match. Then, after a trip to Dallas to meet Paul Quinn on Sept 20, the Pioneers open Sooner Athletic Conference play Sept. 24 at home against soccer newcomer Oklahoma-Panhandle State.
