PLAINVIEW, TX -- Wayland Baptist men's soccer showed grit and resilience on Tuesday night, rallying from an early deficit to earn a 1-1 draw with #19 Mid-America Christian at J.V. Hilliard Field.
The Pioneers (4-2-1, 1-0-1 SAC) fell behind in the 12th minute after the Evangels converted a penalty kick to take a 1-0 lead. Despite the early setback, goalkeeper
Alex Neri kept Wayland in the match with a strong first-half performance, recording four saves before the break.
After regrouping at halftime, the Pioneers came out with renewed energy. The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when
Francis Motsi delivered his sixth goal of the season, finishing off an assist from
Victor Herrera to bring the score level at 1-1. The goal shifted momentum in Wayland's favor as the attack pressed forward with several dangerous chances, including efforts from
Jamol Williams and
Maximiliano Campos, but the Evangels' defense held strong.
Neri remained a wall in goal, finishing with seven saves on the night to preserve the draw. In total, Wayland tallied 10 shots, with six on target, while enduring a physical contest that saw 18 Pioneer fouls and one yellow card.
Though both sides pushed for a winner in the closing stages, neither could find the finishing touch, and the match ended with the teams splitting points.
The Pioneers will look to keep their strong stretch of play going when they travel to Siloam Springs, Arkansas for a match against
RV John Brown on Saturday, October 4
th. Kick-off is scheduled for 4:30 PM.
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