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Harding University Athletics

2018 Men's Soccer Seniors
0
Ouachita Baptist OBU (5-9-1, 3-3-0)
1
Winner Harding HU (9-5-1, 4-2-0)
Ouachita Baptist OBU
(5-9-1, 3-3-0)
0
Final
1
Harding HU
(9-5-1, 4-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ouachita Baptist OBU 0 0 0
Harding HU 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | by Scott Goode (10/23/18)

Ramos's Rocket Gives Harding Men's Soccer Second Straight GAC Championship

SEARCY – In a game with very few strong scoring opportunities, a rocket from the top of the box off the left foot of Harding midfielder Christian Ramos sent the Bisons to a 1-0 victory over Ouachita Baptist and gave Harding its second straight Great American Conference regular season championship.

With the victory, Harding (9-5-1, 4-2-0) earned the right to host the GAC Tournament beginning Nov. 2. Harding will take on No. 4 seed Oklahoma Baptist in the semifinals. No. 3 seed Ouachita will play No. 2 seed Southern Nazarene.

Ouachita (5-9-1, 3-3-0) lost for the fifth straight game, the last four all by just one goal.

Harding senior goalkeeper Michael Wasson made five saves in recording his fourth shutout of the season. His first save of the night was by far his toughest. Ouachita's Abraham Lazo got loose down the right side of the 18-yard box. His shot to the near post looked like it might open the scoring, but Wasson got his left foot on the shot to deflect it away.

Bryant Young came close to giving Harding the lead late in the first half. His first effort in the middle of the box was just wide. The second came just over a minute later when a Ouachita defender cleared his header off the goal line.

The game's lone goal finally came just under 10 minutes into the second half. Harding senior Jason Diaz collected a loose ball about 25 feet from goal and sent a quick pass over to Ramos at the left corner of the 18-yard box. Ramos drilled a low shot to the far post for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.

From there, Harding's defense took over. Ouachita did not have a shot on goal the rest of the game.

FACTS AND FIGURES
  • With the victory, Harding improved to 9-3 in GAC games over the last two seasons.
  • Harding honored its six seniors in a pregame ceremony.
  • Ramos's game-winning goal was his third of the season and sixth of his career. He tied Brock Williams and Ian Park for the most game-winning goals in program history.
  • Ramos has 16 career goals, tying Barry Foster and Phillip McCormick for fifth in program history.
  • Jason Diaz had the assist, giving him 17 for his career, one short of Harding's career leader Mitch Jones.
  • Wasson extended his school record with his 16th career shutout.
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