Bison Calm Crimson Storm for GAC Title Berth

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Box Score (HTML)

SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist dominated rival Southern Nazarene 4-0 Friday night to advance to the Great American Conference Men's Soccer Championship.
 
Thiago Dos Santos recorded a hat trick and Colin Spencer finished with a shutout in the semifinal match. The Bison, now 12-6-1, will face Harding in the final this Sunday afternoon at the OBU Soccer Complex.
 
Dos Santos scored the first goal of the match, ripping a shot from well outside the 18-yard box that grazed the crossbar as it found the back of the net in the 32nd minute. Oklahoma Baptist took a one-goal lead to intermission after testing the Crimson Storm keeper seven times in the opening frame.
 
Early in the second half, Dos Santos used a pass from Jonathan Martinez to score his second goal of the match. Martinez played the ball to the right side of the six-yard box, and Dos Santos ricocheted the shot from the near post to the far left lower 90 to extend the Bison lead in the 56th minute.
 
The freshman from Natal, Brazil, scored his third goal of the match in the 84th minute for his first career hat trick as a Bison. Dos Santos started breakaway near midfield and flushed a shot into the left corner of the goal, finding nothing but net. It was the first three-goal match since Vicente Castillo registered a hat trick against USAO on Sept. 8, 2015.
 
Alejandro Castillo put an exclamation on the victory with his first goal of the season. Martinez picked up his second assist of the night as he found a wide open Alejandro, who made one move and chipped home a shot at the net for a 4-0 lead with just over four minutes remaining.
 
Spencer made five saves as he preserved the sixth shutout of the season for the Bison. Dos Santos paced OBU with four shots and Vicente, Martinez, and Luis Romero each attempted three shots in the win.
 
Oklahoma Baptist looks to avenge their only loss in conference play this season when they host Harding in the GAC Championship Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.