SWOSU Sports Information
Jon Chidester, Sports Information Assistant
SHAWNEE, Okla. – SWOSU Soccer shutout Oklahoma Baptist 4-0 on Thursday night under the lights in Shawnee to be crowned the 2016 Great American Conference regular-season champions. Olivia Butler scored twice for the Bulldogs, and both Alimata Rabo and Ashlyn Collier added a score of their own in the match.
After a third-place finish in the conference last season, and a last-place finish in 2014, the Dawgs are back as champions of the GAC. The title marks the first regular-season championship since 2013 for SWOSU, and the third time a Mark Persson led squad has won the title in his tenure dating back to 2009.
It took 36 minutes for the Bulldog attack to finally score, but goalkeeper Courtney Flores and the rest of the Dawg defense defended well all night allowing the offense to find its rhythm early in the match. Rabo broke the seal in that 36th minute after Lady Bison keeper Emma Beck couldn’t grab ahold of a save allowing Rabo to kick the rebounded ball back into the net for the first and only score of the first half. Going into the intermission, it was SWOSU leadings Oklahoma Baptist 1-0.
Out of halftime, the Bulldogs got on the board again in the 51st minute after Butler took a cross pass from Rabo and was able to get a head on the ball for the second score of the night. The Dawgs went quiet for the next half hour, but ended the match with a flurry. In the 81st and then 82nd minute, Collier and Butler capped off the SWOSU scoring with two quick scores. First it was Collier taking a rebound from her own previous shot to score, and then Butler getting an open look from deep that was well placed to beat the goalie.
In the match, the Bulldog defense allowed 12 shots with four being on goal. Flores made slight work of the four on-goal shots, collecting saves on all of them. The 4-0 victory marks the sixth shutout of the year for SWOSU, who has allowed 18 goals in 16 games played this year.
The win not only solidifies the Bulldogs a number-one seed in the upcoming GAC postseason tournament, but also allows them the privilege of hosting the event in Weatherford starting on Thursday, November 3.
The Dawgs are not done however, as they will hit the road to face Southern Nazarene in the final game of the regular season on Saturday in Bethany at 5 pm. From there, they will turn their attention to the post season and welcome Ouachita Baptist (#2 seed), Harding (#3 seed), and Southern Nazarene (#4 seed) to town next week.