Complete Performance Earns Bison Win

Box Score (html)
 
SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist Men's Soccer dominated in all areas of the pitch as they saw off reigning Great American Conference champion Ouachita Baptist, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at the OBU Soccer Complex in front of their largest crowd of the season.
 
Luis Romero, playing in just his third match this season, is currently on a tear as he added to his three-point (1g, 1a) performance on Thursday night with another two goals on the afternoon. The Spaniard's goals were on either side of an absolute rocket of a goal by Jesus Andrade, with all goals coming within a 24-minute stretch in the first half.
 
Thomas Ackernecht, posting 11 saves in the match, finished two saves shy of the school record his goalkeeper coach, Marcus Oliveira, set four years ago as he clinched Oklahoma Baptist's first clean sheet of the season. It is also the first shutout OBU has ever recorded in GAC competition.
 
Both teams trade volleys in the opening minutes of the first half, but it was the Bison who would be in the ascendancy when the dust had settled. Andrade chipped a thru ball into the path of Romero who was making a curling run on the defender's back shoulder. Romero then sent a curling shot past an on-rushing Nelson Pacheco that nestled in the bottom left corner to give OBU a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute of action.
 
Not content with playing just as a provider, it was Andrade who doubled OBU's advantage in the 15th minute. Vicente Castillo slid a pass to Andrade, and Andrade, who was 25 yards out from goal, allowed the ball to come across his body before his shot fired home into the upper left corner where there was no hope of Pacheco stopping it.
 
The end of the scoring came on a two-versus-one with Castillo and Romero stampeding towards the Tigers' goal. Though Castillo saw his effort saved, the rebound fell perfectly to Romero's feet. The forward made no mistake, placing his shot in the upper right corner of goal to triple the Bisons' delight in the 26th minute.
 
Ouachita chased the match for much of the second half, forcing Ackernecht into four saves, but it would prove fruitless as OBU gained the ball and deftly maneuvered the ball around the pitch and out of the Tigers' reach to close out the match.
 
"The guys are playing really well right now," said OBU head coach Anthony Yousey. "I think we've found our best 'Eleven' now, and the shape and style are good. The biggest thing is that it's great to go into that third conference game at two-and-oh and at the top of the group.
 
"We were changing our lineup a lot without him [Romero] because we didn't have a true 'Number Nine.' Getting him back in there at the center forward slot makes us a lot more versatile going forward. It frees up Thiago [Dos Santos] and Vicente to go at guys on the outside more. He just really brought a whole new element to our team."
Oklahoma Baptist (4-4-1, 2-0 GAC) has the week off before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. when they welcome their rivals from Southern Nazarene to the OBU Soccer Complex.