On Tuesday, Nov. 6, USAO women’s soccer (16-1-1, 8-1 SAC) secured a win in the opening round of the SAC tournament with a 3-1 victory over the Southwestern Christian University Eagles (SCU) (3-8-5, 2-6-1 SAC). The Drovers beat the Eagles earlier this season with a similar score of 3-1.
Going into this game, sophomore forward Daniela Salinas says the team’s mindset was to get the lead early.
“We were able to make the most out of our chances because of our willingness and desire to win and beat SCU again,” said Salinas. “We wanted to make sure we had an early lead and be able to take control of the game.”
An early lead is what the team wanted, and that’s exactly what they got. After seven minutes in the first half, USAO sophomore midfielder Ilse De Jong delivered a ball behind the defense and into sophomore forward Paula Casajus’ space. This became the first goal of the game and her eighth goal of the season.
Shortly after this play, Salinas scored a goal off a volley, which gave the Drovers a 2-0 lead. This play marked her 17th goal of the season.
SCU showed they still had some fight when they scored with less than ten minutes remaining in the first half. At halftime, the Drovers held the lead at 2-1.
For much of the second half, USAO quietly dominated in possession. The Drovers kept the ball within the team and only took chances when they were open. One opportunity did open up with just over 10 minutes remaining. Following a shot from De Jong that deflected off a SCU defender, a foul was committed in the box against SCU, giving a penalty kick to USAO.
Team Captain Kylie Yousey stepped away from her normal defensive position to take the penalty kick. Once the whistle was blown, Yousey put the ball in the back of the net, expanding the lead and solidifying the win at 3-1.
With that win, the Drovers stay at home and will play the SAC semi-final Friday, Nov. 8th at 7 p.m. against the Mid-America Christian University Evangels (MACU). The Drovers have beat MACU once already this season in a tight contest where MACU held a 1-0 lead for most of the game. However, USAO scored two goals to take the lead in the last seven minutes and won in miraculous fashion.
Salinas thinks that Friday’s matchup will be a tough battle but knows her team can come out on top victorious.
“I wouldn’t say it would be more of a challenge, but I definitely think there’s going to be more of a fight. Any game played in the tournament is a do-or-die moment. If you lose, you’re done. I know as long as we play our game and do not get caught in their style of play, we will dominate the game and come out on top,” Salinas stated.
Matthew Yokum is a third-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
