SHAWNEE – The Bison soccer team welcomes Harding and Ouachita to the OBU Soccer Complex this week for a pair of Great American Conference matchups. On Sept. 30, the green and gold host the Lady Bisons at 6 p.m. before welcoming the Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m.
After a 3-0 win last week against East Central, the Bison improved their record to 2-3-1 and 1-0-0 in the GAC. Midfielder
Hannah White scored twice for OBU while defender
Maddison Williams scored the other. Those players were named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, on Monday. In the win over ECU, Oklahoma Baptist did not surrender a single shot on-goal.
So far this season, OBU ranks second in numerous GAC categories including: shots (15.33), points (27), goals (9) and assists (9). Individually, White is slotted second in the conference with five goals and third in points (10).
Tori Kitchel checks in at third in shots (19) and is tied for sixth with two assists. Additionally,
Kaylee Swaner is sixth in the GAC with five points.
Thursday's contest vs. Harding will be the 12th meeting between the two schools with OBU winning the last eight games dating back to Oct. 14, 2016. The series matchup with Ouachita is a different story. In the last 14 meetings, it's been virtually even with the Bison holding a slim 7-6-1 advantage. Last time out, the Tigers upset the Bison during the spring GAC Championship match.
Here's a look at both opponents:
Harding University |
Great American Conference |
Spring 2021 Record: 2-3-2
The Lady Bison are coming off a 1-0 road loss at Ouachita on Sept. 23. Harding has struggled as of late, losing three of the last four games while dipping its record to 2-5. Heading into the season, Dr. Greg Harris' team was picked to finish fifth in the league. The program is looking to attain its first winning season since 2016 as well.
Through seven matches, the Lady Bison have scored seven goals (1.0 p/g) which ranks sixth out of seventh in the GAC. Despite that, Harding does lead the GAC in shots (93; 13.29) per game. Additionally, Harding ranks third with six assists.
Here are a few key players for the Lady Bisons:
No. 9 Briley-Anne Brown | Spring 2021 All-GAC First Team selection; Has scored three career goals in nine matches played
No. 13 Emma Roberts | A three-time All-GAC performer; Earned Second Team honors in the spring; Her four goals this season are a team-high and rank fourth in the GAC
No. 14 Lauren Service | Her three assists this fall are tied for first in the GAC
No. 19 Parker Smitherman | A two-time All-GAC Honorable Mention selection; Has played in 50 career matches and tallied two goals and seven assists
Ouachita Baptist |
Great American Conference |
Spring 2021 Record: 8-3-1
The Tigers have started the fall where they left off in the spring: winning games. Ouachita is 4-1-1 and have been victorious in its last four contests. Several months ago, coach Kevin Wright's team won the GAC Championship as the two seed, defeating top-ranked OBU 1-0 in overtime. Coming into this campaign, the Tigers were picked as co-favorites with the Bison in the preseason poll.
Through six matches this fall, Ouachita has conceded a conference-best three goals (0.48 GAA). Offensively, the Tigers are both third in goals per game (1.33) and assists (6).
Here are the key players for the Tigers:
No. 0 Michele Snow | All-GAC Second Team selection in the spring; currently leads the GAC in goals against average (0.49) and save percentage (.917).
No. 6 Jaymee Dotson | Spring 2021 All-GAC First Team and GAC Tournament MVP; Has scored 17 goals with nine assists in career; Her six points on three goals rank fifth in the GAC this fall
No. 9 Jamie Fowler | Named All-GAC Second Team in the spring; Has scored twice this fall with one game-winner
No. 11 Josilyn Kispert | A two-time All-GAC performer including second-team honors in the spring; Three career goals scored in 16 matches
For complete information on Bison soccer, follow the team's official Twitter account (
OBU_WSoccer) and download the new OBU mobile app on your
iOS or
Android device.
