Men’s Soccer
Drovers Rally Past Union

CHICKASHA – With six new starters, it’s no wonder the Drovers started off slowly. One of those new players, though, Dusan Rasovic scored his first collegiate goal in the 84th minute to complete USAO’s second-half rally past Union University Friday afternoon at Drover Field in the team’s season opener.

Rasovic, a freshman from Belgrade, Serbia, netted a corner kick from teammate Pinny Nijjar that seemed to have eyes as the ball slipped through the mass of bodies pushing for position in front of the net. A perfectly placed pass from Nijjar got past the goalie and left Rasovic in perfect position to score the game-winner.

The University of Science and Arts collect the first win of the season for the second year in a row, but the team has a long way to go before reaching last season’s school record 6-0 start. The Drovers will have their chance to chase that record beginning Tuesday at Northwood, Texas.

USAO looked out of sync early in Friday’s game. With 12 new faces getting playing time, the team had a few miscommunications. Down 1-0 for most of the match after Union’s Franky Mocellin headed in a goal in transition from Anthony O’Neal in the 35th minute, Nijjar scored his first goal of the season and his eighth career goal in the 74th minute to tie the score. Danny Rodriguez, a junior from Bogata, Columbia, assisted Nijjar’s score.

Despite the lack of goals, the Drovers took shot after shot as the impending rally seemed inevitable. USAO outshot Union 15-5 overall and 11-2 in the second half with the helping wind. Union’s goalkeeper faced six shots on goal in the second half alone but could only turn away four as USAO got a big win over a perennially powerful program.

“Even though the score was 2-1, I thought early in the first half we had two or three chances where they made some great plays,” head coach Jimmy Hampton said. “They saved a couple off the line or it could have been 2-0 or 3-0. Then we got caught on a counter where we didn’t stay with the runner, and they put us in a bit of a bind and scored.”

“I think we created some chances, but I think we were our own worst enemy at times today,” he said. “But we expected it. We have a lot of individual talent, but we aren’t a very good team yet, through no fault of their own. We just have so many new players.”

Nijjar, a junior from Nottingham, England, came off the bench and finished the game with a goal and an assist. He felt some of the timing issues the team had Friday would work themselves out with more practice and game situations.

“That comes with a new team,” Nijjar said after the game. “Last year we were very good from the start. This year (coach) Hampton says we’ll be a better team in October than we are in August. We’ll have to see, but I think we’ll get there.”

The USAO men and women will play six games on the road before the next home game scheduled for Sept. 18 against Texas Wesleyan beginning at 1 p.m.

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