Hear From Coach Mason

FULTON, Mo. – William Woods University men's soccer returns to action Tuesday night as they begin AMC play against Missouri Baptist University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Firley Field.
 
About the Spartans
The Spartans enter the contest 3-2-1 on the season and played their last game on Sept. 8th against Culver-Stockton which ended in a 0-0 draw. Missouri Baptist was on a three game winning streak before falling to Greenville University and Thomas University.
 
Senior Jordan Lovell returns for the Spartans this season. Lovell recorded eleven shots with three shots being on goal during his junior season and was named AMC Honorable Mention.  Senior Jake Smith is leading the Spartans this season with one goal. Smith also leads the team in shots (11) and shots on goal (7). Sophomore David Bucarelli is currently leading the team with 17 saves on the season.
 
Missouri Baptist ranks fifth overall in NAIA Division I men's soccer for total shutouts (3). Freshman Cullen Barr, junior Nick Johnson and senior Victor Rada all currently rank 45th in the nation for game winning goals will one each.
 
Last Year Against Missouri Baptist
The Spartans and Owls met for the first time last season on Sept. 16th in St. Louis. WWU walked away with a 2-0 victory. Pedro Ferro and Rodrigo Alves both scored for the Owls. Both teams met again in the 2017 AMC Tournament where the Spartans defeated William Woods 4-3. Matheus Schmid, Rodrigo Alves and Zachary Baliva all scored for WWU.
 
All-Time vs. the Spartans
William Woods is currently trailing the Spartans 7-14-2 in the all-time matchups. The first time these two teams met up was Oct. 18, 1997, where the Owls defeated the Spartans 2-1 in an overtime win.
 
About the Owls
William Woods enters the contest after holding No. 5 Missouri Valley to a 2-2 double overtime draw. Senior Jordan Henderson scored the game tying goal for the Owls with two seconds left in regulation on Sept. 8th.  WWU is now 3-2-2 on the season.
 
The Owls have picked up their momentum after a slow 0-2 start to the 2018 season. They have been on a hot streak winning three straight games and tying their last two. William Woods will look to carry that momentum into conference play.

WWU currently ranks fifth in the nation for total shutouts on the season (3) and 39th overall for total saves (24). They also rank 44th in shutouts per game (0.43)

Darren Wilson currently leads the Owls with three goals on the season. He is also ranks fifth in the nation with two game-winning goals. Billy Nzojyibwami currently ranks 45th in the nation for total game winning goals (1). Billy Faherty currently leads William Woods with 18 saves on the season.
 
Goal Scores
David Marshall, Darren Wilson and Billy Nzojyibwami have all recorded multiple goals for the Owls. Jon Buerge, Spencer Hiles and Jordan Henderson have each scored for the WWU this season. On the season, the Owls have scored 10 goals.
 
Unbeaten Streak
After starting the season off 0-2, the William Woods men's soccer team has gone 3-0-2 over its last five games. The unbeaten streak started with a 1-0 win over Graceland (Iowa) on Aug. 26th. The Owls look to increase the streak against the Spartans.
 
Overtime Matches
After playing three overtime matches the entire 2017 season, the Owls have played three straight overtime matches. The overtime matches started on Aug. 2nd with a 2-1 victory over Robert Morris (Ill.). The Owls then played Judson and No. 5 Missouri Valley to draws in double-overtime.
 
What's Next
The Owls continue conference play Saturday, Sept. 15th as they travel to Batesville Ark. to face Lyon College. Game time is set for 2 p.m.