PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Four different players scored and freshman goalkeeper Ansley Fuchs posted a five-save clean sheet as the No. 19 John Brown University women's soccer team pulled away from Wayland Baptist (Texas), 4-0, on Wednesday evening (Oct. 21) at J.V. Hilliard Field.
John Brown carried only a one-goal advantage into halftime before taking complete control after the break. The Golden Eagles generated 15 second-half shots and scored three times over the final 25 minutes, finishing the night with a 24-6 advantage in attempts and placing 16 on frame.
The victory moved John Brown (11-1-2, 7-0-0 Sooner Athletic) to 21 points atop the conference table, four clear of second-place Oklahoma City with two matches remaining. JBU now needs just two points to secure at least a share of its fourth consecutive Sooner Athletic regular season championship and 10th overall.
Wayland Baptist (8-5-1, 5-2-0) made the Golden Eagles work for the breakthrough early. Fuchs turned aside Camila Zavala and Gabriella Chapa on consecutive opportunities in the 12th and 13th minutes, then denied Narriah Gomez in the 24th as the Pioneers generated four shots on goal before halftime.
JBU steadily created chances of its own, with junior Tianna Jones forcing Ashley Lopez into back-to-back saves in the 14th minute before junior Katherine Keys put another attempt on frame three minutes later.
Freshman Vanessa Frias finally broke the deadlock in the 39th minute, scoring her second goal of the season – and her first-career game-winner – to send the Blue and Gold into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
Then match opened considerably after the interval. John Brown immediately began piling up pressure, producing four corner kicks and six shots over the opening 16 minutes of the second half. Junior Holly Lanter twice came close after entering in the 59th minute, first forcing Lopez into a save and then having another effort cleared off the line before senior Clare Barger struck the crossbar.
Junior Caitlin Hilson eventually doubled the advantage in the 66th minute. Senior Brooklyn Hendricks supplied the assist as Hilson finished her fourth goal of the season to give JBU breathing room.
The Golden Eagles added another 10 minutes later. Lanter set up sophomore Kayah Robbins in the 76th minute, and Robbins converted her fourth of the campaign to stretch the margin to three.
Lanter then capped the scoring herself in the 88th minute. Frias supplied the final pass, allowing Lanter to finish her fifth goal of the season and complete a two-point night for each player.
John Brown overwhelmed Wayland Baptist statistically after halftime, outshooting the Pioneers 15-2 while producing all five of its corner kicks in the period. Lopez finished with 10 saves, while the Wayland Baptist back line added two defensive stops.
Lanter placed all four of her shots on goal and finished with a goal and an assist. Frias also contributed a goal and a helper, while Keys generated four attempts and Barger added three.
Fuchs (10-1-2) made four of her five saves before halftime before adding one more shortly after the restart, collecting her ninth clean sheet of the season.
The Golden Eagles can clinch the regular season crown outright Friday (Oct. 23) with a victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State in Goodwell. Kickoff is set for noon at Anchor D Stadium at Carl Wooten Field, with live coverage available through the Urban Edge Network and the SAC Sports Network.
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