PLAINVIEW, TX -- Wayland Baptist men's soccer turned in a gritty performance on Tuesday night, battling Sooner Athletic Conference rival
RV Oklahoma City to a 1–1 draw at JV Hilliard Field.
The Pioneers struck first in the seventh minute when
Maximiliano Campos buried his second goal of the season off a clever assist from
Francis Motsi, giving Wayland an early 1–0 advantage. The home side's pressure paid off early, as WBU generated eight first-half shots and controlled much of the tempo in the opening 20 minutes.
Oklahoma City equalized in the 17th minute when Bernardo Duarte converted a penalty kick, knotting the score at 1–1 — a mark that would hold for the remainder of the match despite strong chances from both sides.
The Pioneers' defense held firm throughout the second half, anchored by goalkeeper
Alex Neri, who recorded five saves on the night, including several key stops down the stretch.
Elliott Idehen and
Aaron Debus were active on the back line, each notching defensive saves to keep the match even.
Motsi proved to be a spark in the attack with three shots (two on goal) and an assist, while Campos and
Jamol Williams each provided scoring opportunities that tested OCU's defense. Wayland finished with 10 shots and seven on goal, compared to 14 shots (eight on goal) for the visiting Stars.
Both teams traded physical play throughout the contest, combining for 33 fouls and three yellow cards. Despite OCU's late surge, Wayland's back line and Neri's composure in goal preserved the draw.
With the result, Wayland moves to 6–4–3 overall and 3–2–2 in SAC play, while Oklahoma City remains unbeaten in conference action at 4–0–3.
The Pioneers will hit the road for their next match against the Nelson Lions on Saturday, October 25
th in Waxahachie. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM.
