CLAREMORE, Okla. — Rogers State men's soccer (10-2-4, 6-2-2 GAC/MIAA) secured a spot in the conference tournament with a decisive 4-0 victory over Southern Nazarene (5-7-3, 3-5-2 GAC/MIAA) on Wednesday at Soldier Field.
RSU beat SNU for the first time in Claremore since 2021, with the most dominant result in the 27-game history between the two programs. Additionally, the Hillcats extended their win streak to three games against the Crimson Storm, including a sweep this season.
The first half began with RSU establishing control early on.
Jaxon Kendall secured a key save on a shot from Lawm Sangzuala, keeping the Crimson Storm from taking an early lead. The Hillcats capitalized on this momentum when
Brandon O'Rourke scored his fifth goal of the season in the 16th minute with an assist from fellow senior
Artur Carvalho.
RSU continued to apply pressure, with
Alex Laing and
Louis Bassett both attempting shots, though they did not find the net. The defense held firm, with Kendall ensuring the lead was maintained. The half concluded with RSU leading 1-0.
The second half began with the Cats' adding to their advantage. In the 53rd minute,
Noah Preston-Watkins (3) scored with assists from
Oliver Hemlin and
Tom Dixon, extending the home team's lead to 2-0.
Ashton Medina (2) further increased the margin with a goal in the 73rd minute, assisted by Laing, bringing the score to 3-0.
RSU maintained its momentum as Hemlin (4) scored in the 79th minute with help from a well-placed ball from
Lawson Ford that led to Bassett and
Harkaran Sahota's assists, making it 4-0. The Hillcat defense thwarted SNU's attempts, preserving a clean sheet. The half concluded with the Hillcats securing a decisive 4-0 victory.
On the opposite side of the pitch, Aimar Aramendia made three saves in the match, facing 13 shots and playing the full 90 minutes. Adnan Boulaghmal led the team in shots with four attempts, hitting the target once. Tiago Moreira and Francisco Chong contributed offensively with Moreira taking three shots and Chong also attempting three, each managing one shot on goal.
RSU will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 6 in Tahlequah for the final regular season road match against NSU.
