BALDWIN CITY, Kan. - Two early goals carried Missouri Baptist Men's Soccer to a crucial win over Baker University, clinching the first Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament appearance for the Spartans.
MBU knew what they needed to accomplish and took no time to make sure it was accomplished. Eroy Gonsalves, who has been a force at the front of the Spartan attack all season, scored Missouri Baptist's first goal and his fifth goal in the second minute of the game.
The Spartans continued the pressure, seeing a shot on goal by Iker Alvarez before Adel Smajlovic added the team's second score in the 12th minute, furthering his personal count to eight on the season.
The two goals were essential for Missouri Baptist, as the team only managed one more shot for the remainder of the game. On the other side, the defense gave nothing easy to Baker's attack, limiting their opponent to a pair of shots in each half and just one on goal.
"It was a team performance," said Man of the Match Cooper Powell. "We couldn't have done it without them."
Sean Stone was the man responsible for saving that shot on goal, blocking the attempt in the 18th minute. Stone was in goal for 90 minutes, notching his seventh shutout on the season.
With the victory, MBU Men's Soccer earned their place in the conference tournament for the first time as Heart members, and the first time under Head Coach Roosevelt Peters' leadership.
"I couldn't have asked for a better performance from the guys today," said Peters. "Backs against the wall in a high-pressure situation, they stepped up to meet the challenge. I thought, once again, Eroy, Adel, the numbers don't lie. Two of our best attackers contributed again today. But it was a team effort. A clean sheet on the road is big. It is such a big deal. This is the first time clinching the tournament in the Heart of America for this group, and as the head coach, this is the first time for me getting into the postseason tournament. It's a great accomplishment. I'm grateful to God, grateful to the boys, congratulations to them. All we can do now is improve and be ready for knockout football."
The men finished eighth overall in the Heart, breaking the tie with Clarke University based on the conference criteria, beginning first with points (each team had 20), then head-to-head (the squads tied), and then the most wins in conference play (MBU 7, Clarke 6).
The finish sets the Spartans up for a rematch with the conference champion and current No. 7 in the NAIA, William Penn University. The first meeting between the two teams saw WPU best MBU 4-0 in Oskaloosa. William Penn is undefeated on the season at 10-0-8, with a conference record of 8-0-6. Although undefeated, the Statesmen have the most ties of any Heart member, proving that they can be matched.
Missouri Baptist Men's Soccer will have their chance at the champs on Wednesday, Nov. 4th in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The time is to be determined.
