ST. LOUIS, Mo.— The MBU men's soccer team secured another conference victory Wednesday, defeating William Woods University 4-2 at home.
The victory marked the Spartans' first win over the Owls in nearly four years, following three consecutive draws.
MBU set the tone early, firing 12 shots from seven different players in the opening half.
Freshman Ivan Vodanovich put the Spartans on the board in the 36th minute, with midfielder Javar Harris providing the assist.
Nate Boos followed with a solo goal with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, sending the Spartans into the break with a 2-0 lead.
MBU goalkeeper Sean Stone held the Owls scoreless at the half, despite six shots on goal.
Just seconds into the second period, Harris set up sophomore Jango Jibo for his first career goal, stretching the lead to 3-0.
The Owls mounted a late push, scoring two goals to cut the deficit to one with 10 minutes remaining.
Freshman Eroy Gonsalves took control of the offense in the final minutes, scoring the final goal of the game to secure the 4-2 victory. Gonsalves led all players with six shots, including 3 on goal, and one score.
Missouri Baptist outshot William Woods 25-17 and held a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal.
The Man of the Match was Javar Harris, who came off the bench to record a season-high two shots and two assists.
"It's a good feeling coming off the bench and making an instant impact today. We're just gonna build on it going forward in the next upcoming games, and hopefully it gets better from here," Harris said.
Head coach Roosevelt Peters praised the team's effort but recognized areas for improvement.
"It has to be better. We can't be conceding goals and losing concentration. But we took care of business, and that's the biggest thing. Now we celebrate. Onto the next," Peters said.
Next: Men's soccer improves to 5-3-3 (3-3-1) on the season and looks to extend its two-game winning streak in another conference matchup against Saint Ambrose University on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for noon in Davenport, Iowa.
All games can be streamed on Urban Edge Network, with live stats available on NAIA Stats (powered by PrestoSports).
