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Nelson University

Scoreboard

rr
1
Wayland Baptist (TX) WAYLAND (8-6-3, 4-3-2)
1
Nelson (Texas) NELSON ( (8-7-4, 3-4-2)
Wayland Baptist (TX) WAYLAND
(8-6-3, 4-3-2)
1
Final
1
Nelson (Texas) NELSON (
(8-7-4, 3-4-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Wayland Baptist (TX) WAYLAND 1 0 0 0 1
Nelson (Texas) NELSON ( 1 0 0 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Darian Davis

Lions Outlast Wayland in Overtime Thriller to Advance in NCCAA Regional

Waxahachie, TX — November 18, 2025 - The postseason stage brought every ounce of drama Tuesday evening at the Lions Athletic Complex, as the Nelson University Lions survived an exhausting and unforgettable Regional opening round battle in the NCCAA National Tournament against Wayland Baptist University (WBU). In front of a charged crowd the Lions showed resolve, poise, and postseason toughness, emerging victorious in a golden-goal shootout to keep their season alive. 

Wayland Baptist struck first in the 19th minute, capitalizing on a well-timed assist from Jacob Landles to Francis Motsi. Trailing 1–0, Nelson regrouped and punched back moments before halftime. Angel Cruz, who was a spark all night buried the equalizer in the 44th minute, swinging momentum back to the Lions and igniting the home crowd. 

From that point on, Nelson tightened its defensive shape and began asserting itself offensively. The Lions fired 12 total shots with five on target, including near misses from Garey Mills, Makel Mitchell, Isaiah Moreno, and Ricardo Lozano. Cruz, Moreno, and Yael Sandoval all forced saves from the Wayland keeper, while the crossbar and post delivered some tense moments throughout the evening. 

As regulation ended knotted at 1–1, the Lions entered an overtime period that had all the intensity postseason soccer demands. The first 10-minute overtime stretched both teams defensively with Wayland nearly sneaking one in during a late flurry, and Nelson earning a crucial corner from Ricardo Lozano in the 93rd minute. Both sides stayed disciplined, locked in, and unwilling to budge. 

The second overtime saw Nelson push forward relentlessly. Angel Cruz generated multiple corner opportunities, while goalkeeper Amir Raime continued to anchor the back line with confidence and command in a match where every touch mattered. Raime's poise would become even more valuable moments later. 

With 110 minutes exhausted and neither squad able to find a golden-goal finisher, the match moved to penalties where legends are often made.

  • WBU made their first two attempts.

  • Nelson matched them behind successful strikes from Teddy Nkamanyi and Joao Delgado.

  • Momentum shifted when WBU's next attempt missed and Nelson's defenders stepped to the spot.

  • After a narrow miss from Hines, Ricardo Lozano delivered a clinical finish to put the Lions up.

  • Wayland's final attempt was smacked off target, securing Nelson's golden-goal shootout triumph and sending the Lions into celebration. 

Raime came up massive with multiple shootout stops, sealing a memorable postseason moment for the program.

The match truly had everything.

Up Next
Nelson now turns its attention to MACU on Friday, where the Lions will compete for the NCCAA Regional Final with a chance to continue their march through the postseason bracket.

Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.


 
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