HILLSBORO, Kan. - After a flurry of goals bisected an otherwise quiet first half, Ottawa tacked on three more in the second for a 5-1 win over Tabor College on Saturday.
Cale Scott and
Slobodan Novicevic each delivered a five-point outing for the Braves with two goals and an assist each, with
Lorenzo Lamola picking up his first of the season to round out the scoring.
Ottawa was dominant from the opening whistle, pinning Tabor in its defensive third for the better part of the first 15 minutes. And just as it appeared the Bluejays might find respite courtesy of a Braves foul right at midfield, the ensuing free kick fell short and to the touch of a Braves defender, playing the ball forward to
Simon Kindt. Kindt alertly spotted Scott streaking ahead between a pair of Tabor defenders and sent a 45-yard pass in stride for Scott to lace near post around Ignacio Fabeiro.
The Braves needed just shy of two minutes to double their lead, this time with Scott providing the service on the goal from deep in the right corner to Novicevic, who easily outjumped his defender to send the ball back to the near post.
Tabor caught the Braves off-guard in the 22nd, mustering a counterattack goal similar to Ottawa's first of the night, as Noah van Walsum sent a through ball to Michael Castillo Jimenez, who was able to lift the ball with the outside of his right foot around Neri.
Although briefly shaken up, Ottawa quickly settled back into a rhythm and calmly took a 2-1 lead into the break.
The Bluejays were able to find a little bit of life in the early moments of the second half, but an alert defensive play by
Tadeo Nunez snuffed out any hopes of a comeback in the 54th minute as the Uruguayan midfielder leapt between a Tabor pass and its intended target at midfield and dribbled forward. His quick pass to Novicevic was cut back toward the middle of the field before the redshirt senior netted his second of the night with a shot between the legs of Fabeiro.
Novicevic would play the helping role of sorts in the 58th minute, as his shot was blocked but fell to the feet of Lamola for an easy finish.
Ottawa found its fifth of the night in the 62nd minute, as a cross from
Sam Hatswell was blocked by Miro Eppert, but as his hand was extended out from his body in the 18-yard box, a penalty kick was awarded. Scott stepped up and confidently sent Fabeiro diving to his right, but tucked his shot inside the post for his 10th goal of the season.
The Braves came close to adding a sixth twice down the stretch, as
Matias Mazieres's header off a corner kick from
Jevan Purcell-Jackson was barely cleared off the line in the 81st minute, and Purcell-Jackson's effort in the 82nd was parried wide.
Next up for Ottawa is a return to the friendly confines of the Dick Peters Sports Complex on Wednesday. Kickoff against Avila is set for 3:30 p.m.
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