BARTLESVILLE, Okla. -- Junior Elise Bosma handed in a second-half brace, including the game-winner with just 78 seconds left, and the No. 15 John Brown University women's soccer team held on to capture a 3-2 win over No. 5 Oklahoma Wesleyan on Friday (Sept. 22) evening at the OKWU Soccer Complex to close out the non-conference portion of the season.
Closing in on one minute left in the level match, sophomore Aubrey Winter pushed the ball up the right side. Battling through nearly getting dispossessed, Winter slotted a pass into senior Lauren Walter for a 22-yard shot at OKWU keeper Kathryn Rogers.
𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗖𝗛!!! Elise's go-ahead goal with 78 seconds left hands #goJBU WSOC its second-ever win over an NAIA top-five ranked team!!
Posted by John Brown University Athletics on Saturday, September 23, 2023
Unable to hold onto the rebound, Bosma, perfectly positioned for the loose ball, gathered possession and snuck behind Rogers before tapping a shot into the empty net for her career-best fifth goal of the season.
Wesleyan had an opportunity to level the match in the dying moments when a recycled service from the midfield found a pair of OKWU attackers behind the John Brown line, but the hurried shot attempt went far over the goal before John Brown celebrated its first win in Bartlesville since 2004.
The win Friday night was the Golden Eagles' second-ever win over an NAIA top-five team. John Brown is now 2-3-0 against the group all-time, with its only previous win coming against No. 2 William Carey (Miss.) in 2018.
Enjoying an early own goal by the Eagles (5-1-1) defense, John Brown then fell behind early in the second half, despite owning the majority of possession and shot attempts.
Then, in the 65th minute, off a botched clear attempt by Rogers, Winter tracked down the errant kick on the left flank. Her cross into a chaotic box found Bosma, who stabbed at the cross which successfully redirected the momentum of the ball to the near left side of goal to level the match at two apiece.
The Golden Eagles (6-2-0) jumped ahead 1-0 in the 20th when the OKWU defense headed in an own goal off a free-kick service in the midfield from junior Renny Buchanan.
Wesleyan then tied the score just under four minutes later as the nation's leading scorer Tania Mocholi ripped a 25-yard bending missile past sophomore Reagan Riley for her 13th goal of the season.
OKWU took the 2-1 lead in the 51st minute, which lasted 14 minutes until Bosma began piecing together her brace.
The visiting Golden Eagles commanded the shooting chances, 19-11, including a 12-3 margin in shots on goal, forcing Rogers into making a season-high nine saves in the loss. Riley needed just one second-half save to earn the win, moving to 6-2-0 on the year.
John Brown will now enter Sooner Athletic play, with its rival looming ahead as the Golden Eagles kick off league action at Science & Arts (Okla.) on Tuesday (Sept. 26) afternoon at McLaughlin Field. The 5 p.m. kickoff will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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