SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Junior Kelvin Omondi netted a pair of goals and the John Brown University men's soccer team racked up a quartet of tallies within the first 30 minutes of match to run past Texas A&M – Texarkana on Thursday night (Sept. 20) at Alumni Field.
The win is JBU's fourth straight, and for the first time in 2017, the Golden Eagles (4-3-0) are over the .500 mark, just before heading into Sooner Athletic play next week.
"We started with great tempo tonight, and we needed to solidify our two big wins, and I think we did that," head coach Brenton Benware suggested. "Thankfully we now have a week off and I feel confident with the fitness of the squad moving into the conference season."
Junior Ashby Clark broke the scoreless tie just 10 minutes in when he finished off a perfect display of passing with a redirection shot to the left post and in from inside the box. Junior Ryan Williams started the play with a through ball up the right wing to junior Conner Haney. Haney eluded his defender and sent the pass into the box with enough steam that Clark simply redirected it for a 1-0 John Brown lead.
Things unraveled quickly for Texarkana (2-5-0) less than a minute later when Omondi scored his first of two unassisted goals on the night by cutting through the box to the left and letting go a shot to the far right post past TAMUT keeper Zak McCarthy to double the hosts' lead.
In arguably one of the most singular efforts of the season, Omondi stole the ball at midfield and went in alone against the Texarkana back line, shrugging off one defender and ripping a shot to the right side of the goal in the 27th minute to continue the Golden Eagle run to 3-0.
Williams continued his three-point effort on the match with a beautiful one-touch strike from the top of the box off a well-paced pass from senior Marco Cardona on the right flank in the 31st minute.
While TAMUT spoiled senior Adam Holt's (4-3-0) shutout bid less than a minute later, the Golden Eagles out-shot the visitors 21-5 on the match as senior Connor Georgopulos relieved Holt in goal between halves.
Cardona and Omondi led all players with five shots apiece. Cesar Olmos netted Texarkana's lone goal, his first of the season. McCarthy finished the match with eight saves on 12 attempts.
JBU will now rest for the week and return to action in Waxahachie, Texas next Thursday (Sept. 28) when it opens Sooner Athletic play with a tilt at Southwestern A.G. The match is slated to begin at 5 p.m.
