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Harding University Athletics

2016 GAC Men's Soccer Tournament Champions
Harding won its first conference tournament championship with consecutive 2-0 wins.
2
Winner Harding HU (14-6)
0
Okla. Baptist OKBU (12-7-1)
Winner
Harding HU
(14-6)
2
Final
0
Okla. Baptist OKBU
(12-7-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Harding HU 0 2 2
Okla. Baptist OKBU 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | by Scott Goode (11/6/16)

Men's Soccer Captures GAC Tournament Title; Adds to Harding's Weekend Trophy Haul

SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Harding men's soccer team made it three championships in two days for the Bisons and Lady Bisons.

Harding scored two second-half goals and defeated Oklahoma Baptist 2-0 on Sunday in the championships game of the 2016 Great American Conference Tournament. The title was the first of any kind for the Harding men's soccer program, which began in 2000. Harding women's soccer won the GAC Tournament on Saturday in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and the football team clinched the outright GAC regular-season championship with a victory Saturday at Northwestern Oklahoma.

Harding men's soccer concludes its record-breaking season with a 14-6-0 record. The GAC has only four men's soccer teams and does not have an automatic-qualifier bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma Baptist, the conference's regular-season champion, finished the season 12-7-1.

After a scoreless first half in which Harding allowed only one shot from Oklahoma Baptist, sophomore Jeremy Nwonumah worked a give-and-go with Jason Diaz to score his team-best seventh goal of the season in the 58th minute.

Diaz, a sophomore midfielder, added Harding's second goal on a penalty kick in the 71st minute to seal the victory.

Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wasson made two saves for second shutout of the weekend. The shutout was Wasson's ninth of the season and 11th for the team.

Harding reached the championship game with a 2-0 victory Friday over Ouachita Baptist in the semifinals. Nwonumah also had the game-winning goal in that game and received the GAC Tournament Most Valuable Player Award. Also on the All-Tournament team were Diaz, forward Barry Foster, defender Justin Kucera, and defender Aaron Craig.

Harding's 14-win season under first-year head coach Jon Ireland was its first winning season in the 17-year history of the program and matched its win total from the last three seasons combined.
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