MILWAUKEE (May 21, 2022) – A loss early in the South Central Regional cost Oklahoma Christian a few seeding spots in the USA Ultimate Division III Championship, but the Eagles served notice Saturday they remain a distinct threat to repeat as national champions.
Down at halftime to No. 3 seed Berry (Ga.), sixth-seeded OC responded down the stretch and scored the game's final point for a
15-14 win, capping the Eagles' unbeaten run to the Pool C title at Uihlein Soccer Park.
That win, combined with victories over
Scranton (Pa.) and
Ithaca (N.Y.), earned OC a bye in the first round of bracket play. In a quarterfinal match at 1 p.m. Sunday, the Eagles will face the winner between fifth-seeded Navy and No. 13 seed Grace (Ind.).
The semifinals are scheduled for 3 p.m. The other teams on OC's side of the bracket will be No. 2 seed Middlebury (Vt.), No. 8 seed Oberlin (Ohio) and No. 9 seed Williams (Mass.). OC beat Middlebury in the 2021 Division III title match in December in Norco, Calif.
OC earned the second of two bids from the South Central Regional into the national tournament, having to win four straight matches after losing its opener. That meant the Eagles wouldn't be a top-four seed and would have to pull off an upset – at least on paper – to win its pool.
Both OC and
Berry easily won their first two matches in their pool Saturday and their matchup proved to be one worthy of a national-championship contest. Only once during the game were the teams separated by more than one point.
OC led 7-6 late in the first half, but Berry held to tie the match, then picked up a break to take an 8-7 lead into halftime. Berry earned another break to open the second half to go up 9-7 and the Bucks later led 10-8, but OC responded.
The Eagles held, then came up with a break, with
Samuel Roberts catching the disc for the tying score, then promptly spiking on his defender. That seemed to fire up the Eagles, who held again to take an 11-10 lead.
OC never trailed again but Berry kept the pressure on, tying the match at 11, 12, 13 and 14 as both teams exchanged holds. That led to a universe point, with OC needing only to hold to win, and the Eagles did, with Roberts connecting with
Emmanuel Bilolo.
Evan Card and
Trevor Cook each scored three goals for OC in the match, while Bilolo had two goals and three assists and
Elliott Moore contributed four assists. Caleb Grant (four goals), Collin Hill (four assists) and Walter Ellard (two goals, two assists, 2 Ds) led the Bucks.
OC's first two wins Saturday proved to be considerably easier. The Eagles seized the lead early against No. 15 seed
Scranton, led 8-5 at halftime and cruised to a 15-9 win. Moore had one goal, four assists and one D, while
David Peterson and
Max Hamilton each scored twice for the Eagles.
The Eagles were even more dominating in a 15-6 win over No. 10 seed
Ithaca, scoring the first three points and never looking back. Nine Eagles scored at least once, with Hamilton leading with three goals.
Emmanuel Kameri had two goals, one assist and four Ds, while Roberts had one goal, four assists and three Ds. Card also scored two goals for OC.
RESULTS
