Advertisement

HEARTBREAK IN DECATUR: OKWU men's soccer team loses in NAIA quarterfinals

Mike Tupa, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
·4 min read
Oklahoma Wesleyan University's Stefan Lukic, right, scraps with an opposing player in soccer action earlier this season. In the No. 1 vs. No. 2 match later in the campaign, Lukic tallied OKWU's only goal in the 2-1 loss at Central Methodist (Mo.). Lukic also scored for OKWU in a 2-1 loss in Thursday's NAIA national tourney quarterfinals that ended the season and his college soccer career.

Once again the Oklahoma Wesleyan University men’s soccer team made a gritty, rugged climb up the mountain of glory — just to come a few feet shy of reaching the summit.

Columbia (Mo.) College halted the Eagles’ ascent, 2-1, in Thursday’s NAIA national tourney Elite Eight (quarterfinals), taking place in Decatur, Ala.

OKWU wrapped up its stellar campaign at 21-3 and after having reached the No. 2 ranking in the nation.

Columbia (15-3-2) pulled off the stunner by the storming to a 2-0 lead in the first half and then holding on by the stubs of its fingernails.

OKWU’s leading scorer Stefan Lukic — who was coming off an injury — blasted the ball for a goal with 15:26 remaining in regulation.

But, that would be OKWU’s lone score.

In a fierce battle that hinged on defense, OKWU took only three shots on goal — two by Lukic and one by Lucas Mauro.

Columbia attempted only two shots on goal, but cashed in on both of them. Columbia did all its scoring during a 5:34 stretch midway through the first half.

In the other 84:26, Columbia didn’t record a shot on goal against OKWU goalie Matija Gligorovic, who played the distance against Columbia.

This match wrapped up Lukic’s golden soccer career at OKWU, which included being named the Most Valuable Player of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference for four different seasons.

For OKWU head coach Jamie Peterson, finishing his 12th season leading the program, Thursday’s result was another oh, so close heartbreak.

Following a 2-1 double-overtime loss in late October to Central Methodist (Mo.) — the nation’s No. 1-ranked team — OKWU blitzed unbeaten through November (5-0), outscoring opponents, 15-3.

The two goals surrendered in regulation were the most given up by OKWU since a 5-3 win on Oct. 12 against Missouri Valley, the defending national champion.

It was Missouri Valley that defeated OKWU in the 2020-21 season national final, 2-0.

Stung by that loss, OKWU refocused for this season, determined to get back to the national final and claim the program’s first crown.

But, Columbia managed to blunt OKWU’s characteristic bludgeoning offensive attack to deny the Eagles a Final Four berth on Saturday.

In the first two quarterfinal games Thursday, Keiser (Fla.) ousted Missouri Valley, 3-1, while Central Methodist took out MidAmerica Nazarene, 2-0.

Keiser will clash with Central Methodist at 1 p.m. Saturday in the first semifinal.

Columbia will play either Mobile (Ala.) or Indiana Tech in the 4 p.m. semifinal.

The championship match is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday afternoon.

OKWU, meanwhile, is slated to bid good-bye via graduation/eligibility to multiple All-Americans and major contributors.

Some of those listed as seniors on the OKWU website roster are Lukic, Alfeu Bertini, Ognjen Stevic, Julio Belo, Alexandre Lebrisse, Matheus Ferreira, Spencer White, Amadou Gadio, Paul Fikipo, Bryce Stratton, Thiago Luarindo and Luka Pekovic.

White is a Bartlesville High graduate that appeared in nearly 20 matches and contributed a goal this season.

Among OKWU’s highlights this season included surging unbeaten through its Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule (13-0) and sweeping unbeaten through the KCAC postseason tournament (3-0).

As mentioned earlier, the Eagles also knocked off defending national king Missouri Valley, 5-3, in a battle not nearly as close as the final score suggested.

Peterson presided through a fifth 20-win season.

Following is a year-by-year list of OKWU’s results during the Peterson coaching era, including overall and conference records: 2010 (12-5-3, 1-3-0), 2011 (14-5-2, 4-0-1), 2012 (19-1-1, 6-0-0), 2013 (19-4-0, 5-0-0), 2014 (14-5-2, 4-1-0), 2015 (20-1-1, 10-0-0), 2016 (19-1-2, 11-0-0), 2017 (22-1-2, 11-0-0), 2018 (20-4-0, 11-1-0), 2019 (19-5-0, 11-1-0), 2020 (21-3-1, 11-0-0), 2021 (21-3-0, 13-0-0).

That adds up to a 220-38-14 record overall and 98-6-1 mark in regular season conference games (Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference, 2010-14; Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, 2015-21).

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: SOCCER: OKWU's season ends