McPHERSON, Kan. – Thanks to a pair of late goals – including the game-winner by
Francisca Gonzalez with 5½ minutes left – the Wayland Baptist women's soccer team picked up its first Sooner Athletic Conference victory of the season here Friday afternoon over Central Christian, 2-1.
It was the second win of the year for Wayland (2-5-4, 1-2-2 SAC) and lifted the Pioneers into fifth place in the conference standings. Central Christian (4-7-1, 0-4-1) slipped into 10
th and last place in the league.
The Tigers scored the game's first goal in the 37
th minute on a counter-attack when the ball was played from the left side and hit the right post and dropped. Despite being outshot by Wayland 16-2, the home team took that 1-0 lead into intermission.
Wayland tied it when
Ajacia Mojica, shortly after being subbed in, scored for the second consecutive match on a cross from
Natalie Terry in the 72
nd minute.
The game-winner came a little more than 12 minutes later on a corner from Terry, who lifted the ball into the box where Gonzalez, a first-year transfer from Spain, headed it at the back post and into the net.
Wayland took almost four times as many shots as the Tigers, 34-8, with Toby McCoy and Terry leading the way with six and five, respectively.
Bruna Moureira offered four shots while Mojica,
Abrysha Walker and
Madyson Brooks all took three each. WBU ended with 13 shots on-goal, three from Terry and two each from Mojica, Gonzalez, Moureira and McCoy.
Kanada Morita earned the win with five saves.
After three straight on the road, Wayland now heads down the homestretch of the regular-season by playing the next three of its final four matches at home, first against ninth-place Southwestern Assemblies of God (3-8-1, 0-3-1) at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
