CLAREMORE, Okla. — No. 17 Rogers State men's soccer (12-2-4, 8-2-2 GAC/MIAA) blanked the Harding Bison (2-14-2, 0-11-1 GAC/MIAA) 2-0 on Saturday at Soldier Field.
Before the match, the Hillcats honored their four seniors:
Brandon O'Rourke,
Ryan Harvatin,
Ethan Koepke and
Elijah Bustamante. During their time at RSU, this senior class has helped cultivate a winning culture on the Hill, achieving an impressive record of 43 wins, 17 losses and 19 ties over the past four seasons.
The first half commenced with Rogers State establishing an early presence. Despite two early offside calls, the team maintained offensive pressure.
Jaxon Kendall made a crucial save in the 16th minute to keep Harding at bay. Shortly after,
Louis Bassett (3) capitalized on an opportunity, scoring with assists from
Artur Carvalho and
Lawson Ford, putting the Cats ahead, 1-0.
RSU continued to dominate offensively, creating multiple scoring opportunities, but was unable to extend its lead as Stewart Rinner made several key saves for the Bison. The Hillcats concluded the half leading 1-0, maintaining their advantage into the break.
The second half began with Rogers State maintaining pressure on Harding, as Bassett and Ford each attempted shots shortly after play resumed. The Hillcats continued to press forward, generating multiple corner kicks. The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when
Tom Dixon scored his first goal of the season, assisted by both Bassett and
Alex Fletcher, extending the lead to 2-0.
Harding's attempts to respond were thwarted by Kendall's save in the 62nd minute and a solid defensive effort from RSU. Despite multiple shots and a late corner by the Bison, the Hillcats kept the visitors at bay. The match concluded with Rogers State securing a 2-0 victory, maintaining their advantage throughout the half.
Kendall extended his school record shutout total to 10 with the victory.
RSU will now shift its focus to the postseason, as the GAC/MIAA Tournament will take place on Nov. 14 and Nov. 16. Stay tuned for further updates on the conference tournament at https://rsuhillcats.com/sports/mens-soccer.
