TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Athletic welcomes back Juan Arias for his second season with the club as he became the third signing for the 2021 campaign.
A midfielder, Arias started in three contests and totaled four appearances with 211 minutes played for Tulsa Athletic in the 2019 when the green and yellow won the Heartland Conference and advanced to the South Region Finals.
Arias, a native of Cali, Colombia is in his senior season for NCAA Division I Oral Roberts University. In the 2021 spring season, Arias currently leads the Golden Eagles in assists with five as he has started in all 13 contests in the midfield. Playing 927 minutes, Arias has totaled 22 shots with five shots on goal this season for the 8-4-1 Golden Eagles.
As a junior in 2019, Arias was named All-Summit League First Team and to the All-Newcomer Team. He started in eight games and made 10 appearances as Arias tallied four goals on the season, including a brace against Purdue Fort Wayne. He added four assists on the season in his 659 minutes of action. Arias was named the Summit League Player of the Week once during his junior campaign on September 30.
Arias played two seasons at Northeast Texas Community College before transferring to ORU. Arias helped the Eagles advance to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time since 2014 as Northeast Texas CC went 17-3-2 and ranked No. 7 in the final NJCAA Division I rankings during his sophomore season. He started 11 matches and appeared in 13 as a sophomore. Arias totaled five goals and four assists for 14 points. For the season, he tallied two game-winning goals. The Colombian registered 25 shots with 14 shots on goal.
As a freshman, Arias started in 15 contests in the midfield. He finished with five goals and five assists in his first collegiate season, ranking second on the team in both categories. For the year, Arias posted 33 shots with 15 shots on goal. The midfielder scored the game-winning tally against Coastal Bend in a 3-2 win.
Tulsa Athletic starts the 2021 season on May 1 at Arkansas Wolves in Little Rock, Arkansas. The 2021 home opener is set for May 16 at Veterans Park against OKC 1889.
