Playoff bid falls short for club soccer

By Ashley Karr, News Writing Student

OCCCs club soccer team fell to the University of Central Oklahoma 3-0 in a game played on April 18 in Stillwater.

Before the start of the game, the players and coach were all laughs, joking, kidding around and trying to keep warm in the 55-degree weather.

Thirteen OCCC players made the trip, leaving two players to substitute during the game.

Just minutes after the first half started, four players, two from each team, went diving into the goalie area; two UCO players trying to score a goal and two OCCC defenders trying to stop the goal. UCO scored their first goal despite a defensive effort by OCCC.

“Come on, guys, keep your head up,” coach K. B. Yeboah repeatedly told the players after the score.

Six minutes into the first half, OCCC goalie Osvaldo Covarrubias took a shot to the head.

Yeboah was called out to the field to tend to his downed player. After about a minute, Covarrubias was back up and the game continued.

OCCC had a great shot just minutes before the first half was over, but the shot went too high and bounced off the cross beam.

Lots more laughs were to be had during half time. The temperature had dropped 6 degrees in the first half of play.

Minutes into the second half, UCO scored a goal almost immediately.

Within a minute after that, they scored another quick goal.

OCCC had another close goal not long after UCO’s goals but the shot was too high over the top of the goal.

“Come on, guys, don’t give up, you’ve got time, you’ve got time” Yeboah said encouragingly. In the end, UCO prevailed.

When the game concluded, all the players were in good spirits despite missing out on the playoffs.

OCCC played short handed the next day as they traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., to play the University of Arkansas.

With only 10 players suited up, OCCC lost 5-1 as their season ended.

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