JBU soccer teams cruise to victory
OKLAHOMA CITY — Sophomore Kelvin Omondi set a single-game season-high with five points and three different players scored as the newly No. 16-ranked John Brown University men’s soccer team ran away with a 4-0 victory at Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Wednesday afternoon at the MACU Soccer Field.
The Golden Eagles (7-11, 1-0-0 SAC) poured it on in the opening minutes as Omondi scored twice, while sophomore Conner Haney and sophomore Ryan Williams each added a goal. Junior Adam Holt recorded seven saves in his fifth clean sheet of the season.
Mid-America Christian (2-6-0, 0-1-0) could barely begin the match before JBU posted a three-spot on the hosts. Williams opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a 25-yard bomb after senior Daniel Marulanda forced a turnover in the Evangel defensive zone. Marulanda then shot a pass up the middle to Williams, who cut into the middle and let go his fifth of the season for a quick 1-0 lead.
Not 50 seconds later, Omondi chipped in his first of two past MACU keeper Jakob O’Meara-Gill. Junior Steve Teshima started the play with an impressive rush that began before midfield. Sprinting all the way to to the top of the box past a trio of Evangel defenders, he sucked in the entire back line, leaving Omondi open on the left wing. Teshima slid a pass across which Omondi then chipped in over the omcoming O’Meara-Gill to double the visitors’ lead.
Still within the first 10 minutes of play, John Brown pushed the lead to 3-0 when Haney deposited his seventh goal of the season. Omondi danced around a defender, drawing two more defenders and the keeper and calmly laid a pass into the middle to the oncoming Haney. Haney struck for his team-leading tally to put the game out of reach.
In the 20th minute, the scoring ended as Omondi tallied a near mirror-image goal of his first. Omondi’s seventh of the season came off an MACU turnover which Williams quickly turned into a counterattack. Racing between defenders, Williams laid a pass across the goalmouth to Omondi, who one-touched and chipped a shot again over O’Meara-Gill. It was Williams’ fourth helper of the season.
While MACU narrowly out-shot John Brown 6-4 in the second half and 13-12 in the contest, the Golden Eagles held a 9-7 shot-ongoal advantage.
Since making its way into the top-25 of the NAIA National Coaches’ Poll, John Brown is 2-0-0 and has outscored the opposition 8-0. Additionally, the Golden Eagles have surrendered just one goal against in their last 380 minutes of action.
O’Meara-Gill took the loss in goal for the Evangels (2-6-0, 0-1-0). Omondi and MACU’s Gleydson Neri each had a game-best four shot attempts.
The Golden Eagles were scheduled to return to action Saturday at Bacone (Okla.). Results were not available at presstime.
Women
JBU 1, MACU 0
OKLAHOMA CITY — Sophomore Jastin Redman headed in her fifth goal of the season with just 20 minutes left to play and senior Kristen Morency collected three saves as the No. 24 John Brown University women’s soccer team hung on for a 1-0 victory at Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Wednesday afternoon at the MACU Soccer Field.
Redman’s third gamewinner of the season came in the 70th minute as the Golden Eagles (71-1, 1-0-0 Sooner Athletic Conference) outshot the hosts, 19-3. Only six of JBU’s 19 shots found the target until Redman planted the gameclincher off a blast from sophomore Aspen Robinson from the edge of the 18-yard box.
Senior Sara Lachance began the play by dumping a lateral pass into the middle to Robinson, who turned, beat a defender, and launched a rocket toward MACU keeper Madison Donihoo. The shot beat Donihoo, but met the crossbar, bouncing high into the goalmouth. Redman, crashing the goal, was the first to get a touch on the free ball and headed it into the goal for the game-winner.
“I thought this was the story of two different games,” said JBU head coach Kathleen Paulsen. “In the first half, we struggled. In the second half, I thought we put together a much better performance. We want to learn and grow from this and prepare for Saturday.”
The Golden Eagles entered the contest ranked No. 24 in the nation and played in its first match as a ranked team since its season opener in 2014.
Robinson led all players with six shot attempts. Brittney Stephens and Taylor Moseley each posted a pair of shot attempts in the loss for the Evangels (3-4-1, 0-1-0). Donihoo sufferd the loss, but made six saves in the effort.
John Brown was scheduled to return to action Saturday at Bacone. Results were not available at presstime.