OKWU SOCCER: MEN SUFFER EXIT, WOMEN SWOOP INTO QUARTERFINALS
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Tessa Edwards (25) plays during an earlier season game. The Lady Eagles defeated MidAmerica Nazarene University to advance in the the NAIA national tournament.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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By Mike Tupa
Dec. 4, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s women’s soccer team is headed to the quarterfinals of the NAIA national tournament!
Meanwhile, the OKWU Eagles suffered their first loss of the season to make a disappointing early exit from the men’s national tournament.
Following are more details.
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LADY EAGLES SOCCER
OKWU powered past MidAmerica Nazarene University, 1-0, in the round of 16 to punch its ticket to the round of eight.
An own goal - favoring OKWU - at the 45:59 mark would be the lone score. An own goal occurs when a defending team accidentally hits the ball into its own net.
OKWU’s Laura Gieseler kept heavy pressure on the MidAmerica net with five shots, two of them on goal.
Marilla Constantinou recorded OKWU’s other shot on goal.
Goalie Alessandra Martinez played in goal all game for OKWU and made three saves to finish with a clean sheet.
The teams met in the finals at Pensacola, Fla.
Next up, OKWU (20-1-2), which is coached by Ivan Ristic, takes on Marian (Ind.) University. The winner advances to the semifinals.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Tylor Guerrero (17) competes during an earlier season game. The Eagles fell to William Penn (Iowa) University in the NAIA national tournament.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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EAGLES SOCCER
Perhaps no adversity might have been more costly to the Oklahoma Wesleyan University men’s soccer team than no adversity at all.
The Eagles had to sit around — or practice around — for 10 days between action in the NAIA national tournament.
However — or if — that extended time off took an edge off the Eagles’ game can never be measured quantitatively
The bottom line is the Eagles suffered an earlier-than-usual exit from the tourney with a 2-0 loss earlier this week to William Penn (Iowa) University.
The Round of 16 loss to William Penn snapped a 15-game winning streak — dating back to September 27 — and ended OKWU’s season at 19-1-3.
The teams battled to a 0-0 halftime tie. William Penn scored nearly 60 minutes into the match and added an insurance goal in the final two minutes.
OKWU launched four shots on goal, led by Adrian Mejia with two.
Eagle goalie Marko Rodic played the distance in goal and made two saves to try to keep the door open for his team.
The teams met in Orange Beach, Ala., the site of the finals.