By Austynn Crocker, Staff Writer
November 11, 2022
Men’s and women’s soccer seasons at Ouachita Baptist University is drawing to a close this fall; throughout their seasons, both teams have made significant progress while facing the occasional setback.
After beginning games in early August, women’s soccer is going into its final tournament Nov. 3rd, successfully making it into the semifinals. They finished second in conference after losing just 1 out of 12 games, and they stand a good chance at dominating their conference.
“We worked too hard not to win a ring,” said Frankie Nine, a junior on the women’s soccer team.
Women’s soccer has been training hard since August and their hard work has paid off, but their season was not without obstacles . Out of their 12 games, they tied four of them. These frustrating turns of events kept them only a few points from being first in the conference. This did not deter them as they continued fighting over the weekend. Their season’s success is, in part, due to their team’s cohesiveness and their ability to trust each other on the field. Their team has bonded through their many hours spent together in practice and games, but also through the simple things like karaoke on their bus rides and their trip to the Bass Pro Pyramid in Memphis.
“Every individual has been a part of this season’s greatness,” said junior Fernanda Valencia about the journey the team has taken throughout the season.
Ouachita men’s soccer began their season late August with a game against Christian Brothers University. This was a good starting point for the team, despite teams tying 0-0. They had a hard-fought game against Christian Brothers, but they saw major improvements as their season continued. They defeated Newman 3-1 after coming off a tough loss. This game gave them significant momentum. Their defensive game developed against Fort Hays and they had their best defensive game of the year. They finished their season, having grown their team in both defensive and offensive aspects.
“We are a really strong first half team but we struggled in finishing games,” commented junior Eli Jenkins, a center-back, who acknowledged what an honor it was to play this season and how thankful he was for the positive message the seniors left the team to carry into the next year.
Men’s soccer had a successful and developmental season.“I would say that this year was a great learning and bonding experience. I will never forget the memories made and the hard work we put in,”stated junior goalkeeper Armani Atilano.
