WEATHERFORD, Okla - Soccer competed hard Saturday afternoon in the Great American Conference Championship game, but fell to the Oklahoma Baptist Bison 1-0.
SWOSU found themselves on the defensive side of the field for much of the match, defending the Bison attack. Despite this, the Dawgs played strong defense throughout and were able to eliminate nearly all of Oklahoma Baptist's scoring threats. A free kick right before the half was OBU's best chance to score in the first 45 minutes, but goalkeeper Ashley Hughes spoiled the chance with a great save.
12 minutes into the second half, GAC All-Tournament MVP Tori Kitchel of OBU scored the lone goal of the match on a deep kick outside of the box that found net past a diving Hughes. This put the Bison ahead 1-0 where the score would remain for the duration of the second half.
The Dawgs continued to battle after the score though. Brianna Benitez had a great look with a minute and a half left to play, but the OBU defense was there to ruin any chance at a game tying score.
SWOSU finished with two shots on goal, while Oklahoma Baptist totaled three. SWOSU also recorded three corner kicks and Hughes finished with two saves.
For their efforts, Nicole Petrino, Tianna Watkins and Elizabeth Moreno all were named to the GAC All-Tournament Team.
SWOSU falls to 13-6-1 on the season and still has hope to get into the NCAA Central Regional Tournament. They currently are the number eight seed in the region, and eight teams qualify for the tournament. The selection show will be Monday, November 15th at 5pm and can be watched on the NCAA website.
