FULTON, Mo.—Off to its best start since the 2010 season, the William Woods University men's soccer team will look to extend winning and shutout streak to four games, as the Owls travel to Central Methodist University on Wednesday night. Kick-off will start at 7:00 p.m.
The Owls (4-0-1), are coming off a hard fought 1-0 (OT) victory over John Brown University, who were playing its first home game under the lights in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, back on September 5
th.
In the first half, neither team found the back of the net, but it was JBU outshooting the Owls 7-5, however, freshman goaltender
Conor Cable kept the game scoreless, making four saves. Senior
Jacob Hawes led the team in shots, having three, while
Anthony Moscatello added two.
In the second frame, it was all Golden Eagles, as they outshot WWU 12-2, but it was Cable again coming up with four more saves, and with neither team able to break the tie, it was off to overtime.
Then, just one minute and 12 seconds into overtime,
Brett Hodges received the ball just outside the 18 yard box and he was able to find freshman
Harrison Bray, who blasted in his lone shot and first collegiate goal into the back left corner of the net, giving WWU the 1-0 victory.
Hawes led the offense with three shots, while Moscatello contributed two and three other Owls totaled one shot. Cable was spectacular in net for WWU, as the Spalding, England, native, made a career-high eight saves.
During its three-game winning streak, the Owls have not allowed a goal in 271:12 minutes of play, outscored its opponents 9-0 and have a shot advantage of 57-43.
Alex Severino and
Anthony Moscatello lead the team in goals (two) the last three games, while
Jesse Jordan,
Alan Matthew, Hawes, Bray and
Matheus Schmid have also found the back of the net. Senior
Paulo Conelian has led the team in the assist department, contributing four.
On the season, the Owls have surrendered just one goal, while totaling 16. Hawes leads the team, having four goals already on the year, while Severino and Moscatello rank second on the Owls, earning three. Conelian leads the team with six assists, which ranks him first in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) and second in the NAIA.
In net, Cable has played in 401:30 minutes, collected 19 saves, has a save percentage of .950 and earned a goals against average of a mere 0.220. His 19 saves rank him 22
nd in the NAIA, while his GAA, is 14
th best in the nation.
The Owls will be looking for its first win against the Eagles (3-1), since the 2009 season. Last year, at Central Methodist, the Owls fell 1-0, as a goal by Mykhael Bain in the 22
nd minute was the difference maker for CMU.
After starting the season 1-1, the Eagles themselves have won two straight and have outscored its opponents 13-0 in the process.
The team got its second win on the season, defeating Harris-Stowe State 3-0 and then followed that up with a 10-0 victory over Central Christian College of the Bible. Eight different Eagles found the back of the net, while Jesus Morales and Daniel Arrazola each scored two goals.
On the season, CMU has totaled 18 goals and are led by Tyler Neis, earning four goals on the year, while Arrazola has scored three times and Luis Costa has contributed two.
In net, Carlos Ribera has picked up three wins in four games, while making eight saves and holds a save percentage of .727.
"We have a lot of history with CMU, with many back and forth games," said head coach
Nathan Mason. "The games literally are so close, it comes down to who makes the last mistake with the ball. They are a strong team in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) and can beat anyone. We play them twice this year, as both coaches' were looking for games and I know their staff very well."
He added, "We are happy to have them on our non-conference schedule, as they are a top team to compete against. I know Coach Nichols will have them ready to play us and will defend our set pieces well. I hope we can take our key five-six chances and get a result, as they won't give them up easy."
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com tomorrow night for a full recap and score from Firley Field.
