CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Rogers State men's soccer team kicked off the 2012 season with a 3-0 win over Missouri Baptist at Soldier Field on RSU's Claremore campus.
The Hillcats owned a decisive advantage on the attack as they out-shot the Spartans 21-7 in the match. RSU had several scoring opportunities in the opening half. It took a goal from the 2011 leading scorer to break the tie in the first stanza as sophomore Mohammed Shaban scored in the 36th minute. Patrick Seward passed the ball to the center midfield and Mathew Levenson first timed the ball Shaban who buried it in the back of the net.
Newcomer Niall Masterson doubled the RSU lead just four minutes later as he weaved through the defense and blasted the ball upper 90 on the back side to make it a 2-0 game at intermission.
Whellyn Carroll put the game away in the 65th minute with his first goal as a Hillcat. Levenson threaded the ball through the defense and Carroll, a junior from Johannesburg, South Africa, slotted the ball past the keeper.
The Spartans managed just one scoring opportunity which wasn't much of a test for RSU senior goalkeeper Nathan Inger who made the save with ease.
Ethan Brunk suffered the loss in goal for MBU. He made seven saves while allowing three goals in the match.
Rogers State (1-0) returns to action on Tuesday as the Cats travel to Southwestern Christian in Bethany Okla. at 2 p.m.
