OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City plays tonight for the Sooner Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship, taking on John Brown.
 
The Stars (13-3-4) and Golden Eagles (12-3-4) clash at 7 p.m.
 
OCU Notebook
Rematch: The Stars and Golden Eagles played to a draw on Brian Harvey Field, even with OCU playing a man down in the second half. OCU played a man down for the final 39 minutes and took a 2-1 lead before allowing a late penalty kick for the equalizer. Shay Prescod scored his first goal of the season to give OCU a 1-0 lead in the 39^th minute, playing home a well-placed corner kick from Thomas Brulay. JBU tied the game in the 44^th minute to send the game to halftime square at 1-1. Bernardo Duarte planted the second goal, using an assist from Harrison Knight for a 2-1 OCU lead in the 69^th minute. OCU was called for a foul in the box and Atim Roper snuck in the penalty kick for the final margin in the 89^th minute. Alexis Bertrand had four saves for the Stars.
 
Encore: The Stars are in the finals for the second consecutive season. OCU defeated Mid-America Christian in the finals last season 1-0. Ruben Fahiya scored the lone goal in the 79^th minute and Alexis Bertrand turned away two shots on goal.
 
Classic Last Season: The Stars and JBU also met in the postseason last season with the Stars winning a classic in the SAC semifinals on penalty kicks. Ruben Fahiya scored with 61 seconds left with the Stars a man down to force overtime. The Stars won the shootout 8-7.
 
Rankings: OCU received no votes in the previous poll and the final poll comes out on Wednesday. At-large berths to the NAIA Tournament don't rely on the poll, but on a committee vote. The primary criteria are area rating, overall winning percentage, record vs. 1-30 RPI, NAIA RPI and strength of schedule. The final RPI comes out on Thursday. Currently, OCU is 40^th in RPI and a strength of schedule ranking of 113^th. In the area ratings, OCU is ninth in the South.
 
Opening Round: OCU has put in a bid to host the Opening Round. Those determinations will be made Friday at 4 p.m. during the NAIA Selection Show.
 
Scouting JBU: The Golden Eagles are 12-3-4 after a 2-1 overtime win against Mid-America Christian in the semifinals. JBU has scored five postseason goals, including two each by Alejandro Gallardo and Amaury Jarry. Gallardo and Atim Roper lead the team with eight goals apiece.
 
OCU's Path: The Stars defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State and Wayland Baptist by matching 5-1 counts. The Stars have put 18 shots on goal and allowed six. Francisco Miquel has four goals, Ethan Tayor has two and Sage Trevino, Harrison Knight and Juan Erazo have one each.
 
Shutouts: Through 20 games, the Stars have allowed 15 goals. The Stars' defense has allowed just 8.8 shots per game and only 3.5 shots on goal per match. The result has been nine shutouts for the Stars. Alexis Bertrand leads the SAC with eight shutouts, a 0.757 goals allowed average, and .770 save percentage.
 
OCU at Home: The Stars are 8-1-2 at home this season and outscoring opponents 29-10. That's an average score of 2.64 to 0.91. Harrison Knight and Francisco Miquel have four goals each at home. Ruben Fahiya and Ethan Taylor have three goals each at Brian Harvey Field.
 
Half and Half: The Stars have outscored opponents by a 45-15 margin this season, allowing six first- and nine second-half goals. OCU has 25 first-half goals and 20 second-half goals. 
  
The Goals: Bernardo Duarte and Francisco Miquel share the team lead in goals with eight each. They are tied for fourth in the SAC. OCU has 45 goals on the season. Harrison Knight has six goals this season, followed by Ethan Taylor with five. Thirteen Stars have scored goals this season.
 
On the Assist: Fourteen Stars have combined for 31 assists this season. Harrison Knight leads the team with six and  Thomas Brulay has four.
  
Coach Billy Martin: Coach Martin is 60-31-14 since taking the helm at OCU in 2020. His 14-win season in 2024 was his best so far.
 
Keeper of the Week: Oklahoma City goalkeeper Alexis Bertrand's two clean sheets on the road earned him Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 2. Bertrand had three saves in those two wins. 
 
Hat Trick for Fahiya: Star Ruben Fahiya had a hat trick against Jarvis Christian. Those were the first goals of the season for Fahiya. Kenz Toms and Ethan Zeinalpor also had their first goals of the season in the 5-0 win, with Toms getting the game-winner.