Men’s and Women’s Soccer KCAC Champions after sweep of Bethany
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan honored its men’s and women’s soccer seniors at halftime of their respective games, and sent them out in style with a pair of wins over Bethany in both teams’ regular season finales on Saturday night at Salina Stadium

KWU WOMEN 4, BETHANY 0 – Kansas Wesleyan outshot Bethany 58-0, but could only find the net four times as the Swedes packed in the defense to try to hold the high-powered Wesleyan offense off the board.

Bethany’s gimmick pack defense worked for 13 minutes and 56 seconds when senior Nikki Ware played the rebound of her initial shot and scored putting the Coyotes up 1-0.

The entire half, except for one chance when Bethany got the ball deep into Wesleyan territory was played on the Coyote offensive half as the Lady Coyotes reeled off 29 shots in the first 45 minutes.

Wesleyan would carry a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.

Alexa Chico would score in the 64th minute on a pass from Heather Muilenburg to blow the game wide open. Muilenburg would find Chico right in front of the goal and find the back of the net passed Bethany’s Sarah Garlock.

Muilenburg would get her chance eight minutes later when she would corral Angela Padilla’s corner kick just outside the right post and fire a shot passed Garlock making it 3-0.

Ware would get her second goal of the match in the 84th minute  when she would take Megan Couch’s pass and score to make it 4-0.

Ashley Trinidad and Kelli Beatty split the Lady Coyotes’ seventh consecutive shutout, and did not face a shot all evening.

Wesleyan finishes the regular season with a 17-1 overall record, including 9-0 in KCAC play, and is riding a 13-match winning streak as the Lady Coyotes head into the KCAC Post-Season Tournament this weekend in Wichita.

KWU MEN 6, BETHANY 1 – The Coyote men scored three goals in each half and gave up a late goal to the Swedes as KWU captured the 2007 KCAC Championship with the win.

It’s the Coyotes first regular season title since the 2005 season.

Miguel Wenceslao scored the first goal of the night in the 17th minute, when he would take the pass off Jayro Martinez’ corner kick and sneak it inside the left post from 25 yards out.

Martinez would be on the passing end of Wesleyan’s second goal when his corner to Jimi Gleason would be perfect and Gleason would score in the 26th minute.

Jose Garay would give KWU a 3-0 lead in the 39th minute on a pass from Gabe Romo.

Just a minute and half into the second half when Bethany’s Trent Davis would hit the ball into his own net trying to make a defensive stop, putting Wesleyan up 4-0.

Gleason would get his second goal of the night when Blake Schwartz would find him alone in front of the goal. A quick tap to Gleason was all it would take as he would find the net in the 66th minute.

Mario Rodriguez would cap the scoring for the Coyotes in the 69th minute when he would take a crossing pass from Nick Rowin on the left side and fire past Bethany’s Alonzo Cordova.

After several substitutions, including a keeper change for both teams, the Swedes would get a goal in the 88th minute when Nnaemeka Obiagwu would score just inside the right post against Wesleyan’s Beau Cline.

The Swedes (1-15-1, 0-9) would get the ball deep in Coyote territory when Cline picked up an indirect kick.

The Coyotes easily outshot Bethany 41-4 in the match as Wesleyan finished the regular season with a 12-3-2 overall record, including 8-0-1 in the KCAC. Ben Fetherston had 68-plus minutes in goal, while Cline played the final 21-plus.

Both Wesleyan teams are off until this weekend when they will play in the KCAC Post-Season Tournament held at Friends on Friday and Saturday. Opponents and times will be announced later this week.

-- KWU SI --