(FULTON, Mo., Sept. 25)--The William Woods University men's soccer team defeated visiting Missouri Baptist University 1-0 on Firley Field Saturday. It was the American Midwest Conference opener for the Owls.

The Owls and Spartans played a scoreless first half on Saturday. Each team attempted six shots in the first 45 minutes of play.

Freshman Joel De Leon (Simi Valley, Calif.) scored the only goal of the match in the 58th minute. He scored on an assist from senior Greg Baker (St. Peters, Mo.). Baker played a pass from the left wing into the box. De Leon dribbled around one defender and found the back of the net for the match-winning goal. It was the third goal of the season for De Leon. It was the first assist of the year for Baker.

William Woods outshot Missouri Baptist 14-9. Freshman Joao Paulo Dutra Parra (Sao Paulo, Brazil) led the offensive attack with seven shots; three of which were on goal. Junior Marcelo Carreiro (Curitiba, Brazil) added five shots for the Owls.

Senior Cory Herchenroeder (St. Louis, Mo.) earned his first start in goal for the Owls. He had one save in the shutout victory. WWU has now recorded three consecutive shutout wins. They have four on the season.

MBU falls to 2-7 overall, 1-1 in the AMC. WWU improves to 7-0-1 overall, 1-0 in league play. The Owls have won seven consecutive matches. The streak is a new school record. They are also off to the best start in the history of the program.

WWU will return to action on October 2. The Owls will travel to AMC rival Hannibal-LaGrange College. Kick-off is scheduled for 3 pm in Hannibal, Mo.