Wichita, Kan. – The McPherson College men's soccer team fell in the KCAC Tournament finals to the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles 3-0 on Saturday. The 3rd seeded Bulldogs were making their sixth trip to finals, but didn't have enough fire power against the top seeded Eagles.
The Eagles have been a top 5 team nationally all season, and they showed why in Saturday's final. They controlled the time of possession, and limited the Bulldogs to seven total shots, and just three shots on goal.
The Bulldogs conceded two goals to the Eagles in the opening half, the first coming just nine minutes into the frame. The Eagles placed a shot on goal, that Jose Alonso made a brilliant save on, but he was unable to secure the ball, and the Eagles slotted the rebound. A turnover in the Bulldog midfield led to a second Eagle goal, this one in the 29th minute.
After the intermission, the Bulldogs played with a renewed passion and sense of urgency. They created two good chances in the half, but were unable to find the back of the net. The Eagles added their third and final goal in the 61st minute and then held on for the clean sheet.
Alonso and Swift each played a half in goal for the Bulldogs. Alonso finished with two goals against and six saves, while Swift game up just one goal and turned away three other shots on goal.
"In order to beat a top ranked team like OWKU and give yourself a chance, so many things must go right and you must be healthy," said Bulldog head coach Doug Quint. "We were missing some guys today and that really forced us to change some things tactically. While I thought we did some good things and had some nice moments, you cannot make simple mistakes against a team that good. We did and OKWU punished us for that. That is such a quality side, hats off for the season they are having. "
With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 12-4-4 overall. They will find out later this weekend whether their season has come to an end, or if they will receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament.
