THE RUNDOWN
The No. 7 Dallas Baptist Women's Soccer team continued their perfect start to the season, improving to 4-0 with a commanding 3-0 shutout of Central Oklahoma on Saturday night at Patriot Soccer Field. Behind goals from Skylar Belanger, Chandler Wheat, and McKenna Vela, the Patriots' attack kept the pressure on while the back line delivered another stellar performance, holding the Bronchos to just one shot on goal.

DBU wasted little time making a statement. In the fifth minute, freshman Skylar Belanger opened the scoring in spectacular fashion, lofting a shot from nearly 30 yards out on the left wing that sailed over the reach of UCO keeper Avery Bass and tucked into the back of the net. Her strike gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead that carried into halftime.

Just two minutes into the second half, DBU doubled their advantage. Freshman Chandler Wheat capitalized on a through ball from Vela, slotting her shot inside the bottom right corner for her first career goal and a 2-0 Patriots lead.

In the 68th minute, DBU delivered the knockout punch. Anne Louthan whipped in a cross that deflected off the crossbar, and Vela was in perfect position to head home the rebound inside the back post. The junior forward's goal gave the Patriots all the insurance they would need, as the defense closed the door the rest of the way.

The Patriots limited UCO to just three shots in the second half, securing their second clean sheet of the year and extending their unbeaten streak start to the 2025 campaign.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• DBU is 4-0 for the first time since 2022, when the Patriots opened the season with five straight victories.
• Both Belanger and Wheat netted the first goals of their collegiate careers.
• DBU outshot Central Oklahoma by an 11-8 margin, controlling possession for most of the night.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
18 - With her assist on Vela's goal, Angelina Olmos moved into a tie for 8th in program history with 18 career assists, matching Kaleigh Naizer (2020–24).
17 - McKenna Vela added two assists of her own, bringing her career total to 17, tying her for 9th all-time with Haley Roberson (2022–24).
6 - Head Coach Marcus Wood now sits just six wins shy of cracking the Top 20 all-time in NCAA Women's Soccer coaching victories.

POSTGAME REACTION FROM MARCUS WOOD, SKYLAR BELANGER, & McKENNA VELA


UP NEXT
The Patriots turn their attention to Lone Star Conference play, opening league action against Angelo State on Wednesday evening at Patriot Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

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