Box Score SEARCY, Ark. (Sept. 5, 2015) – It might not be a rivalry – yet – but Oklahoma Christian made something of a statement on Saturday afternoon at sister university Harding (Ark.).
OC scored twice early on goals by
Taylor Vanderford and twice late on goals by
Troy Tippeconnic and
Anthony Buchanan in posting a 4-1 win over the Bisons at Stevens Soccer Field, giving the Eagles a split of their two-game season-opening road trip.
OC (1-1) and Harding (0-1-1) tied last season in Oklahoma City in the first-ever game between the programs. But the Eagles seized control early and never trailed in the return trip. The four goals were the most scored by OC since recording five in a loss to Texas-Permian Basin on Nov. 2, 2013.
Vanderford, a junior from Oklahoma City, had two career goals before equaling that total in the first 16 minutes on Saturday. Both goals came during scrambles in front of the goal following an OC corner kick. The first one came just 72 seconds into the game, the second (assisted by Tippeconnic) in the 16th minute.
Harding – picked to finish third this season in the Division II Great American Conference – pulled with 2-1 in the 43rd minute, as Curtis Hunt headed Josiah Ireland's free kick past OC goalkeeper
Evan Helker. But the Bisons suffered a big blow in the 48th minute when Phillip White received his second yellow card, resulting in an ejection and leaving Harding to play a man down.
Eventually, the Eagles took advantage of having one more player on the field than the Bisons. In the 88th minute, Buchanan's cross from the left side found Tippeconnic in the penalty box and he easily beat Harding goalkeeper Michael Wasson.
Just 32 seconds later, Buchanan dribbled up the left side of the field and shot past Wasson into the lower left corner, making it 4-1. It was the second goal in as many games for Buchanan, a junior from Midwest City.
Harding actually outshot the Eagles 14-12, but only four of the Bisons' attempts were on goal. Helker and Wasson each recorded three saves.
OC's 2015 home debut will be Thursday, when the Eagles host Central Christian (Kan.) at 6 p.m.
