TULSA – Tulsa Athletic scored two second-half goals to go up 2-0 en route to a 2-1 victory over Reign FK on Saturday night (July 9) at Hicks Park in the regular season finale for both clubs.
With the win, the green and yellow finish the regular season with a 9-1-2 record and 29 points in the Heartland Conference, winning the Heartland Conference Shield as the top team in the regular season.
“The boys stepped up and closed out the regular season,” Tulsa Athletic Head Coach Levi Coleman said. “We are very proud of them. Reed Berry and Abou Diallo have been a handful for defenses all year and made a big impact when they came into the game as subs today. I’m proud of the attitude of the boys tonight. They have been consistent with that commitment, so it’s rewarding to finish the regular season with our fourth win in a row. Reign made the game difficult for us, but I’m proud that the boys were patient and were able to find their way through. We enjoy this tonight and then immediately prepare for the Heartland Conference Semifinals coming up on Wednesday.”
After a scoreless opening half, Tulsa Athletic got on the scoreboard in the 65th minute when the green and yellow scored off a counter. Abou Diallo flicked the ball over to Reed Berry who was one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he slotted it home with a shot to the left corner for a 1-0 edge. Diallo earned the assist on the goal.
Diallo increased the lead to 2-0 in the 78th minute, scoring in front after a rebound from a shot from Ethan Gordon went right to Diallo. Gordon got the assist on the goal to up the score to 2-0.
Reign scored late in the 85th minute to pull within one goal at 2-1.
The green and yellow held on in the final minutes for the 2-1 victory to end the regular season.
Tulsa Athletic swept the series with Reign this season after a 5-1 win to start the season.
The green and yellow earned the top seed in the Heartland Conference playoffs. The top four teams in the standings make the playoffs with OKC 1889 second, Sunflower State third and Demize NPSL fourth. OKC 1889 and Sunflower State will face off in the Heartland Conference Semifinals on Wednesday.
Tulsa Athletic hosts Demize NPSL in the Heartland Conference Semifinals on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park. A live video stream will be available.
