SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Twice sophomore Tianna Jones put the Golden Eagles on the front foot, and twice Mid-America Christian (Okla.) responded as the No. 10 John Brown University women's soccer team had to settle for a 2-2 draw on Saturday night (Oct. 23) at Alumni Field.
Jones netted her first collegiate brace for the Golden Eagles (9-2-4, 6-0-2 Sooner Athletic), but the Blue and Gold six-match winning streak came to and end thanks to a pair of responding goals from MACU's Caitlin Hirst as the Evangels snuck out of Siloam Springs with its second draw in the last three visits to Alumni Field.
Jones' fourth of the season came in the 11th minute, handing the hosts a 1-0 lead. Off a broken corner service, junior Zoe Roberts slipped a pass across the box to a wide open Jones, allowing her to one-touch a well-place strike back to the left side of goal for the lead.
Eleven minutes later, the Evangels posted its first equalizer of the evening. Brae Baker's service through the JBU back line found Hirst between a pair of Golden Eagle defenders closing in on goal. Hirst found just enough time to loft a chip over an oncoming Marely Fonseca and into goal for the tying mark.
Before the half, however, the host side jumped back into the lead on yet another broken corner service. In an attempt to clear the loose ball off the line, an Evangel defender cleared the ball off Jones' calf and into the goal, cementing the brace for Jones and another John Brown advantage.
Hirst would tie it again in the 59th minute, this time as a result of a passing play through the middle that began with Cammy Hargrove's pass up the middle to Gladis Avalos. Avalos then fed Hirst breaking up the left wing in stride, allowing her to complete the brace – and her fourth of the year – with a strike off the far right post and in.
Although outshooting the visitors by a wide 25-7 margin, the Golden Eagles struggled to send shots on frame (9) through the torrent of rain and slippery pitch. Fonseca made three saves on five chances, while MACU's Ariana Solario stopped six JBU shots in the draw.
John Brown still has a chance to clinch an outright Sooner Athletic regular season title for the fifth time in six seasons, but will have to best Oklahoma City on Tuesday night (Oct. 28) at Brian Harvey Field. A draw and a Science & Arts (Okla.) win at Nelson (Texas) would produce a shared title, while a JBU loss and a USAO victory would allow the Drovers to claim its first regular season title since 2022. The match will air live on the SAC Sports Network – for a fee.
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