SHAWNEE – Standing in the way of an eighth-consecutive GAC Tournament Final berth for Oklahoma Baptist is Harding University. On Friday at 2 p.m., the green and gold and HU will square off on the campus of Ouachita in a semifinal match at Kluck Field.
Admission to the match is free.
The winner of this contest will advance into Sunday's (Nov. 17) final against either top-seed Ouachita or fourth-seed Southern Nazarene.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the schools in the conference tournament. During the regular season, each team earned a win over each other. Harding won 4-1 at OBU on Oct. 12 before the Bison delivered a 1-0 result in Searcy on Oct. 26.
One of the key points for the Bison in their win at Harding was its vast improvement on the defensive end. OBU limited HU to three shots on goal during the Oct. 26 contest. Compare that to the game in Shawnee when Harding scored four times on seven on-target looks.
Here's a look at both teams heading into Friday's semifinal match.
Bison Notes
- OBU closed its regular season with a 2-1 win at Southwestern Oklahoma State.
- Alanna Bloomingdale and Hali White provided the goals while Sam Sheffield and Olivia Kenas assisted.
- Kenas finished the regular season with nine points, good for sixth in the GAC.
- For Sheffield, her four assists are second-most in the GAC. Plus, she's just the sixth OBU freshman to attain four helpers in a season since D2 play started in 2015.
- White, who secured the game-winning goal at SWOSU, has two game-winners this fall. That total is one off the conference lead.
- The Bison have been solid in their last seven matches defensively. They've given up four goals and limited opponents to 4.5 shots on goal per game.
- In goal, Claire Stoermer has recorded 28 saves, earned an .875 save percentage and posted a 0.57 goals against average.
- The freshman keeper's regular season brought the second-most shutouts in the GAC (6) as well as third-best GAA (1.05).
- Offensively, freshman Sophie Jordan has scored two of the team's six goals while Sheffield has provided three assists.
Here are coach
Mike White's thoughts on the matchup:
"Playing Harding, or any team at this point, is always a challenge. Everyone wants to win, so every team will bring their best. HU has good athletes that match up well with our athleticism. They will try to win the midfield, where our strength is, and finish their chances. We will do the same."
Harding Notes
- HU tied SWOSU 0-0 on Nov. 11. That result moved their record to 7-8-2.
- This season, Harding has the GAC's top goal-scorer and leader in assists. Carmen Gunn has scored six times while Kloey Fullerton has recorded five assists.
- Plus, Bailey Bulliner has two game-winners, second-most in the GAC.
- In goal, Maysa Willis is second in the league in GAA (1.01) and third in saves (77).
- During the two regular-season matches with Oklahoma Baptist, Willis recorded 12 saves and posted an .857 save percentage.
- As a team, Harding has 65 points (21g, 23a), second-most in the conference. Their 23 assists are also tops in the GAC.
- This appearance in the GAC Tournament is Harding's first since the shortened spring season of 2020. Prior to that, HU last qualified for the four-team tourney in 2018.
