Drovers Set for Conference Tournament

The bags are packed and the tickets are punched for this weekend’s Sooner Athletic Conference soccer tournament, and the USAO men have a national ranking as a carry-on.

On the strength of four consecutive conference wins to close the regular season, the University of Science and Arts jumped to No. 23 in the country on Wednesday and into third place in the SAC. That conference seeding means the team will host Oklahoma Christian University at 2 p.m. Saturday at Drover Field in the first round of the SAC tournament.

USAO manhandled OC 4-1 on Oct. 18 in the only other official meeting. The Sept. 13 game was cancelled due to lighting with the Drovers leading 3-2.

Top-seeded Southern Nazarene will have a first-round bye while St. Gregory’s will travel to second-seeded Oklahoma Baptist. Oklahoma City will host John Brown in the first round as well. The second round will begin Nov. 2 with SNU hosting the lowest remaining seed. The next highest remaining seed will host the next lowest remaining seed in the other match.

The championship match is scheduled for Nov. 5 with the higher seed hosting. All games are scheduled for 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

The USAO women will travel to OC for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Friday. The women’s tournament will follow the same format.

Men’s Seeding                                            Women’s Seeding

1. Southern Nazarene                                  1. John Brown

2. Oklahoma Baptist                                    2. Oklahoma City

3. USAO                                                    3. Oklahoma Christian

4. Oklahoma City                                        4. Oklahoma Baptist

5. John Brown                                             5. Northwestern Oklahoma

6. Oklahoma Christian                                 6. USAO

7. St. Gregory’s                                           7. St. Gregory’s

                                                                  8. Southern Nazarene

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