MARSHALL, Texas – A goal sank by
Silas Sangano in the 82
nd minute would serve as a historic moment for the East Texas Baptist University men's soccer team giving them a 1-0 victory over the University of the Ozarks in the American Southwest Conference Tournament First-Round match. For the first time, ETBU earns a postseason win in the NCAA Division III era. They also now have won 10 matches, which is the most since 2005 and have a six-match unbeaten streak, the longest since 2001. In ETBU's six-match unbeaten streak, they have also recorded three shutouts.
Bryant Botello headlined the defensive effort for ETBU, collecting nine saves and recording a shutout which is his fifth of the season. Sangano scored the team's only goal on three attempts, while
Daniel Rutter notched two shots and an assist. Spence Jean Baptiste led the Ozarks with four shots, and three attempts coming on goal in the loss.
Ozarks yielded the first shot of the match at the 11:35 mark as Michael Luster launched an attempt just outside the box, only to result in a save by Botello. Another shot attempt by Alex Ross would end up in another save by Botello to keep the score at 0-0 at the 17
th minute of the contest. Sangano would attempt ETBU's first shot with 26:33 on the clock, but it would bounce wide of the net. In spite of three opportunities at the net by each team, the match remained tied at 0-0 entering halftime.
Sangano opened the second half with yet another shot attempt, this one connecting on the crossbar to keep both teams off the scoreboard. A shot by UO's Thomas Ross also bounced high at the 47
th minute of the match. Neither team was able to find the back of the net until the 82
nd minute of the match. Once again, Rutter was the facilitator in the clutch, setting up a shot for Sangano right at the net. The shot would find its way inside the box, resulting in a 1-0 lead for ETBU with eight minutes to play in regulation. Three consecutive key saves by Botello would seal the deal for the Tigers down the stretch, as ETBU would secure the 1-0 victory in postseason play.
Head Coach
Chris Crawford spoke about his team's effort after the historic win on Cornish Field:
"This was big for our program, big for these guys and it just speaks to the resilience of our team. They never quit. Our guys really held it down tonight and came up with big plays when we needed them," Crawford said.,
ETBU will travel to Richardson, Texas to take on the University of Texas-Dallas on Friday, Nov. 2, in the ASC Tournament semi-final match at 5:00 p.m.
PROGRAM NOTES