PLAINVIEW --- Wayland Baptist earned a hard-fought 1–0 win over Nelson University at home in the Sooner Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Quarterfinal match behind a second-half strike from freshman midfielder
Maximiliano Campos.
Campos delivered the game's only goal in the 54th minute, capitalizing on sustained pressure early in the second half to net his third goal of the season. His finish gave the Pioneers the breakthrough they'd been pushing for after a tightly contested first half where both sides traded limited opportunities.
Wayland outshot Nelson 10–7 and put seven of those attempts on frame. The Pioneers' attack was led by
Francis Motsi, who created numerous chances and recorded five shots on goal, constantly challenging the Nelson back line.
Niklas Thiel also tested the keeper twice, including a strong first-half effort that forced a diving save.
In goal,
Alex Neri was steady throughout, recording four saves and anchoring a back line that held firm under late pressure. The Pioneers' defense, marshaled by
Elliott Idehen,
Aaron Debus, and
Rivaldo Mitchell weathered a flurry of Nelson corner kicks in the closing minutes to preserve the clean sheet.
The match grew physical in the second half, with both teams combining for 26 fouls and several yellow cards. Despite that, Wayland maintained composure and control of possession, particularly through the midfield trio of
Niklas Thiel,
Victor Herrera, and
Dario Catalan.
The Pioneers will now travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where they will battle the 1-seed Stars of Oklahoma City University in the SAC Men's Soccer Semi-Final match on Friday, November 7
th. The match is scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM.
