Quick strikes lead Tulsa past Oakland
TULSA, Okla. – Oakland scored first but Tulsa had the last laugh at the Hurricane Classic.
Josh Bennett scored early, but the Oakland men’s soccer team lost 2-1 to Tulsa on Sunday in the final match of Hurricane Classic. Both John Timm and Konner McNamara earned All-Tournament honors performance at the tournament, which was hosted by Tulsa.
“I am proud of our team. There is no give up in these guys,” said head coach Eric Pogue. “We aren’t getting the results, but that hasn’t deterred their fight and worth ethic. No one on the team is feeling sorry for us.”
Bennett gave Oakland (0-4-1) the early lead with a goal at the 12:06 mark in the first half. Joey Tinnion set up the play with a pass to the open Bennett who was able to finish into an empty net from five yards out.
Oakland’s lead held up for less than one minute, as Corey Albertson netted from 15 yards out to tie the score. Albertson’s goal came at the 12:49 mark on an assist by Matt Boullt.
The Golden Hurricanes (3-2-1) took the lead on another quick-strike goal to start the second half. Omar Mata played a through ball to Blaine Gonsalves who fired a close-range shot into the back of the net, less than a minute into the second half. Oakland goalkeeper Scott Messer was able to get a hand on the shot, but could not keep it out of the net.
“Today we let down mentally on two occasions,” said Pogue. “Once was after we scored and the other was coming out of half time. Tulsa is a good team and they capitalized on these mental lapses.”
OU came close to leveling the score several times in the second half. The best chance fell to Gavin Hoy, who got in behind the Tulsa defenders, but had his shot blocked wide by a last-ditch effort from a Tulsa defender. Tinnion also came close in the second half, forcing a good save from the Tulsa goalkeeper.
The Golden Hurricanes outhsot the Golden Grizzlies 14-6 and had a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. Messer recorded four saves for OU, while Michael Murray posted a pair of saves for Tulsa.
“We continue to play top, nationally-ranked teams,” continued Pogue. “We know that in the long run these games and tough times will prepare us for Summit League play. I was happy overall with our game plan and we continue to take positive steps in the right direction.”
Oakland is back in action on Friday with a road match against Marshall at 7 p.m. The Golden Grizzlies will also play at Cincinnati on Sunday.
Category: Campus Clips, Colleges / Other, Oakland University
