Golden Eagles score late, draw with No. 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Sophomore Giovanni Bejarano scored his first collegiate goal in the 76th minute, and the John Brown University men's soccer team battled to a 1-1 double-overtime draw with No. 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan on Wednesday (Sept. 14) night at Alumni Field.
With the draw, the Golden Eagles remain unbeaten at Alumni Field in 21 appearances against Oklahoma Wesleyan and now stand at 17-0-4 all-time.
Sophomore Ryan Williams dished out his third assist of the season in the 76th minute when his free kick from the right flank landed in the box. Bejarano tipped the ball past OKWU keeper Luka Stojanvoic and buried a shot just inside the right post to tie the score at one apiece.
The JBU back line of freshman Tim Huffine and sophomores Hazeley Pyle, Santiago Vanegas and Bejarano submitted a stellar performance, limiting the talented visitors to just one shot on goal throughout 110 minutes of play.
Wesleyan (3-0-1) found the board first in the 60th minute when Fernando Machado tallied his second goal of the season off a free kick from Perica Obradovic.
Stojanvoic finished the contest with five saves, earning the draw. Holt was tested often, but helped thwart the possesion of OKWU by cutting off crosses and through balls throughout the match.
John Brown (4-1-1) outshot Wesleyan by a 15-14 margin, while OKWU had all four shot attempts in the extra time. After Wesleyan controlled the first part of the first half, the Golden Eagles responded, out-shooting the visitors 4-2 through the first 45.
The second half, which featured both tallies, was all John Brown, as evidenced by a then 11-2 shot differential on the scoreboard. Slowly but surely, the visitors chipped away at the shot count, but couldn't mount a strong chance other than Machado's header three yards out from the goal line.
John Brown had plenty of chances to score, including sophomore Kelvin Omondi's two breakway chances in the first half. The first was highlighted by a strong last-second tackle by an OKWU defender while the second opportunity saw the ball squib away from Omondi's feet just as he let it go. Stojanvoic also posted an acrobatic save on another Omondi chance in the 13th minute.
Stojanvoic posted a second acrobatic save in the 52nd minute when he lept to his left, halting junior Collin Smith's bid to open the scoring.
JBU returns to action on Friday (Sept. 23) against Bethel (Tenn.) at Alumni Field as Saturday's match against Ecclesia (Ark.) was cancelled on Wednesday afternoon.
