SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University men's soccer team fought back from an early deficit to earn a 2-2 draw against Oklahoma City on Tuesday night (Oct. 29) at Alumni Field, securing a second-place finish in the Sooner Athletic regular season table.
The Golden Eagles (10-1-5, 7-1-1 Sooner Athletic) saw a resilient comeback led by senior Jose Almanza and sophomore Atim Roper, who scored in the final minutes of the match to salvage the point. The Stars took a two-goal lead in the first half, but John Brown's relentless push in the second half culminated in Almanza's unassisted goal in the 77th minute, followed by Roper's equalizer in the 86th minute.
Oklahoma City (11-1-3, 6-1-2) struck first in the 16th minute when Marco Alongi connected with Bernardo Duarte to net his 13th of the season, putting the visitors up 1-0. Just 12 minutes later, Duarte doubled the lead with a well-placed, unassisted shot that left JBU trailing 2-0 at halftime.
Despite facing an uphill battle, the Golden Eagles regrouped after halftime, and after playing against a tilted pitch in the first half, out-shot OCU by a 14-3 margin in the latter period.
John Brown's breakthrough came in the 78th minute when Almanza seized a loose ball just inside the penalty area, and turned and fired in his second of the season to the near left post. With time against them, the Golden Eagles pressed on, increasing their attack and maintaining possession deep in Oklahoma City's territory. In the 87th minute on the counter, freshman Kendal Madrigal sent a pass up to freshman Alejandro Gallardo, who flicked a pass forward to an overlapping Roper. Roper then took the possession 30 yards through the box and deposited his first goal of the season, sending the Alumni Field faithful into a frenzy.
Both teams continued to press for a deciding goal in the final moments. In the closing seconds, senior Erick Diaz nearly clinched the win for the host side, but his shot hit the post, leaving the game level at the final whistle.
Defensively, John Brown held Oklahoma City at bay throughout the second half, with goalkeeper Adam Tebbs (5-0-2) recording four saves, two in each half, to help sustain JBU's comeback effort.
The Golden Eagles produced 16 total shots, five on target, while limiting Oklahoma City to nine shots, six of which were on target. JBU's defense adapted well in the second half, holding the Stars scoreless after the break and creating several set-piece opportunities with five second-half corner kicks.
With the draw, John Brown guarantees at least two home matches in the upcoming Sooner Athletic tournament championship, with the quarterfinals set to begin on Wednesday evening (Nov. 6) at Alumni Field. JBU's opponent is yet to be determined, but the match will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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