For the first time in Oklahoma Christian University’s Division II history, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams will host Lone Star Conference tournament matches, marking a historic milestone for both programs.
The women’s team will host its playoff match Monday, Nov. 2, at 10 a.m. due to weather, and the men’s team will take the field Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.
Both programs have exceeded expectations this season, overcoming injuries, difficult schedules and preseason doubts to earn the opportunity to compete in front of their home crowd.
Women’s head coach Evan Dresel said the accomplishment is one of the most significant moments in the program’s history.
“I think it’s by far the best accomplishment we have had in the DII era,” Dresel said. “So many things have to come together at the right time, and fortunately for us we played our best soccer during the conference schedule.”
The women’s team finished the regular season on an eight-game unbeaten streak, securing a top-four finish in the Lone Star Conference after finishing 11th the previous season.
For Caitlin Thompson, who has spent four years with the program, the turnaround has made this season especially meaningful.
“It’s really exciting but also surreal,” Thompson said. “I have been on the team for four years now and this is the most successful team that we’ve had in those four years.”
Thompson credited the team’s success to a collective effort rather than the performance of any individual player.
“It has genuinely been a collective team effort from the injured girls to the starting eleven,” Thompson said. “Our defense has been super disciplined the entire season and our offense is working together and being creative in ways that I have never seen before.”
Sophia Acuna, another four-year member of the program, said the team’s improvement has been years in the making.
“When I first came into the program, we were still in a building phase,” Acuna said. “Being able to see that vision continue to develop and now be part of a team that is accomplishing things this program hasn’t done in a long time makes it really special.”
Acuna said the biggest difference this season has been the team’s willingness to put one another first. She credited returning players, transfers and freshmen for buying into the same goals and creating a stronger team culture.
Dresel shared that belief, pointing to the relationships between players as the foundation of the team’s success.
“We are a talented group but the way our players care for each other and the team as a whole is our super power for sure,” Dresel said. “I’ve been fortunate to have many great teams but I don’t think I’ve had one with so many selfless players.”
The women’s team showed signs of its potential early in the season with a 2-0 victory over Colorado Christian University, a team the Lady Eagles had lost to the previous year.
Thompson said the victory gave the team confidence that it could accomplish its goals, including finishing in the top four of the conference.
For Acuna, that belief started even earlier during a preseason team meeting when players discussed what they wanted to accomplish.
“Nobody seemed intimidated by how big they were,” Acuna said. “Instead, everyone was bought into the idea that we could actually achieve them.”
Despite the team’s success, the season has not been without challenges.
Injuries have forced the Lady Eagles to adjust their lineup throughout the year, including losing key starters and relying on other players to take on larger roles.
Acuna said the team’s depth has been critical in overcoming those setbacks.
“We have a group of players who understand what it takes to compete at a high level, and every time someone has been called upon to step into a bigger role, they’ve done an incredible job,” Acuna said.
The Lady Eagles also faced adversity early in conference play when they lost consecutive matches, something the team had specifically set a goal to avoid.
Rather than allowing those losses to define their season, Acuna said the players held each other accountable and focused on improving.
That response helped the Lady Eagles put together their eight-game unbeaten streak to close the regular season.
Thompson said the team’s mentality changed during that stretch.
“We went into each game believing that we were the better team rather than just playing not to lose,” Thompson said. “I think that mindset is something that is a big component of our success this season.”
While the women’s team was putting together one of its most successful seasons, the men’s program was making history of its own.
The men’s team also earned a home conference tournament match despite entering the season predicted to finish ninth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll.
Head coach Neil Hilton, an Oklahoma Christian alumnus, said the accomplishment carries personal significance.
“To me it means an incredible amount as an alumni, and someone who is very thankful for how OC changed my life,” Hilton said. “To bring success to the program and see these young men compete and represent the University in the way they have has been a very proud moment for me.”
Hilton credited the team’s growth during the spring semester and the relationships players developed as major factors in its success.
“The togetherness of this group has been unmatched,” Hilton said.
Tyler Ackah-Wheatcroft said the team’s mentality has helped it overcome challenges throughout the season.
He also said the preseason conference rankings gave the Eagles additional motivation to prove themselves.
“I think the preseason poll of us being predicted to finish 9th in the conference really lit a flame under the whole program to want to prove people wrong and show them how good OC can be,” Ackah-Wheatcroft said.
One of the defining moments of the men’s season came against reigning national champion Midwestern State University.
After falling behind by a goal on the road, Oklahoma Christian fought back to earn a draw, showing it could compete against one of the country’s strongest programs.
Ackah-Wheatcroft also pointed to a 2-0 victory over West Texas A&M, a game that included weather delays and difficult playing conditions, as an early sign of the team’s potential.
Hilton said the Eagles’ ability to stay competitive in difficult matches has separated this group from previous teams.
“A hunger to stay in games when it’s really difficult,” Hilton said. “How the team has defended has been the platform to allow us to be successful.”
The men’s team has also dealt with a demanding schedule, often playing difficult opponents just three or four days apart.
Hilton said the players have continued to respond to those challenges and give everything they have in each match.
Now, both programs will have the opportunity to play postseason soccer at home, something neither had accomplished during Oklahoma Christian’s Division II era.
For the women’s team, hosting a tournament match represents the progress the program has made over the past several seasons.
Acuna said playing in front of the home crowd will make the experience even more meaningful.
“I step onto the field knowing I’m playing for something bigger than just myself,” Acuna said. “I’m playing for my teammates, the people supporting us, and the community we’ve built around this program.”
The men’s team is also looking forward to the atmosphere surrounding its first home conference tournament match.
Ackah-Wheatcroft said the support from the Oklahoma Christian community could provide the team with additional energy as it competes for a postseason victory.
While both teams have already accomplished something historic, the players and coaches believe this season can serve as the beginning of something greater.
Acuna said the women’s program has come a long way from its 11th-place conference finish last season, but the team is not satisfied with stopping here.
“I truly believe this is just the beginning of what’s to come for OC women’s soccer, and I hope we’ve shown people that this program is capable of much more,” Acuna said.
Dresel said the season has given the women’s program confidence in what it can accomplish moving forward.
“I think we have just proven to ourselves what is possible,” Dresel said. “I have no doubt we will be even hungrier to keep accomplishing more.”
Hilton hopes the men’s success will create that same belief among current players, future recruits, alumni and the Oklahoma Christian community.
“We don’t want this to be the highlight of our program,” Hilton said. “We want it to be the beginning of something bigger, and we want to build a culture that future generations of Eagles can continue to grow and be proud of.”
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