KISSIMMEE, FL. --- 7-seed Wayland Baptist wrapped up the 2025 NCCAA National Championship with energy and an early lead, but despite a dominant performance in the attack, the Pioneers came up short in a 4–2 loss to 6-seed Redeemer University on Wednesday afternoon at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.
Wayland set the tone immediately, pushing forward and generating pressure in the final third. The breakthrough came in the 7th minute when
Narriah Gomez threaded a perfectly timed ball to
Camila Zavala, who calmly finished for her first goal of the afternoon and a 1–0 Pioneer advantage.
From there, Wayland looked dangerous, outshooting Redeemer a staggering 19–7 in the first half. Zavala and
Ashley Perez created repeated opportunities, forcing Redeemer goalkeeper Sarah deJong into save after save—ten in the first half alone.
Despite Wayland's pressure, Redeemer capitalized on its limited chances. A 26th-minute equalizer from Joelle Mitton followed by a 31st-minute penalty conversion flipped momentum, putting the Pioneers behind 2–1 at halftime.
Redeemer extended its lead early in the second half, but Wayland refused to fold. In the 67th minute, Perez delivered a precise pass into the box, and Zavala buried her second goal of the match—her eighth shot on target—to cut the deficit to 3–2 and reignite Pioneer hopes.
Just three minutes later, however, Redeemer answered with a goal from Hannah Moes, pushing the margin back to two. Wayland continued to fight, earning four more corner kicks and generating several dangerous looks, but couldn't find the finishing touch in the final minutes.
Zavala finished with 10 shots, eight on frame, and both Pioneer goals, while Perez added an assist and three shots on goal. In total, Wayland outshot Redeemer 27–11 and owned a 7–2 corner-kick advantage, dictating much of the match despite the scoreboard.
Goalkeeper
Ashley Lopez recorded four saves for the Pioneers.
Wayland Baptist wraps up their 2025 season with a 7-11-3 overall record.
