TULSA, OK. - The Central Arkansas Men's Soccer Team traveled to take on the Golden Eagles of ORU on Wednesday, March 10. The Bears won the match 1-0 from a very early goal and some good defending. Coach Ross Duncan and the Bears came into the match off a 4-0 win over Central Methodist. 

FIRST HALF - EARLY START AND WINDY BACKS

The Bears started quickly in the first half when Edoardo Calzola blasted a low shot towards goal, which was parried by the goalkeeper and fell to the feet of Alexsi Morel. Morel squared a ball to Vicent Abaso, who sent the ball flying into the net in the fourth minute.

The first half wasn't all perfect for the Bears, as Mathias Bendiksen went off in the ninth minute with an injury and never returned to the pitch. The Bears put four of their six shots on target during the first half while ORU only put two on frame.

SECOND HALF - CLEAN SHEET AND SUN SHINING

The Bears started strong in the second half, just as they did in the first half when Katsuyoshi Kimishima sent the ball towards the corner of the goal, but it was saved in the 47th minute. The Bears had the wind in their faces for the final 45 minutes and were limited to only three total chances. But it was the defending by the Bears that stole the show. Zach Schawl was faced with four true chances by ORU the entire match but collected them all nicely.

The Bears played strong, defensive soccer and kept ORU from creating many chances.

HEAR FROM THE COACH

"Today was another good step forward for us. We knew the quality we were up against, so we were very focused going into the match. That was an undefeated team for a reason. They are a challenge to break down and they have some special players that can hurt you on the counter. We had a bit of a chip on our shoulder because we weren't happy with our performance in the return fixture back in February, so we had an incentive to get it right this time," said Coach Ross Duncan. "It wasn't perfect. We had to defend really well and had to have some brave moments at times. But it was a team effort to get the result. I'm proud of that part for sure."

HEAR FROM THE PLAYERS

"Tough effort, tough day, but all the work was rewarded with a win. We knew it was going to be a very tough team to defeat but we overcame the wind, the opponent and focused on us. As a result of all the work since the first day of preseason, we got a huge win. Now we have no time to stop and celebrate. Back to work and focusing on Lipscomb," said the lone goalscorer Vicent Abaso.

The Bears travel to Nashville, Tennessee next Tuesday, March 16 as they take on Lipscomb.