Trailing for the first time all season, the No. 11 John Brown women's soccer team responded the way coach Kathleen Paulsen hoped it would.
The Golden Eagles scored five straight goals -- including three in less than 10 minutes -- defeat Science and Arts (Okla.) 5-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship game Thursday in front of a big home crowd at Alumni Field.
"You never take it for granted," Paulsen said. "USAO is always a great game. It's always a great battle -- really proud of the girls."
The tournament championship was the fourth in the program's history and third under Paulsen, joining crowns in 2005, 2013 and 2016.
The conference tournament championship gives John Brown (12-0) an automatic spot in the upcoming NAIA National Championships. However, that appeared to be a formality anyway as John Brown was announced Wednesday as one of 10 Opening Round host sites by the NAIA, which are scheduled to be played this Thursday and Saturday.
The Golden Eagles will learn what teams will join them at Alumni Field at 11 a.m. Monday when the NAIA announces the tournament field live on Facebook. It will be the seventh time in program history that they've advanced to the national tournament.
Science and Arts made its early bid at the automatic spot when the Drovers (13-5) found the back of the net in the fourth minute to take a 1-0 lead.
Alicia Rey scored off a Sydney Arneson assist with three minutes and 55 seconds into the match after JBU failed to clear a ball from a cornerkick.
It was the first regular play goal scored on JBU all season and only the second overall, with the first coming on a penalty kick in the opening match of the season on Feb. 23. It ended JBU's scoreless streak of 952 minutes and 10 seconds.
"You never hope to be scored on, but I was thankful for the challenge," Paulsen said. "That was something we needed to grow through and work through, and I thought they responded really well."
It didn't take long for the Golden Eagles to answer.
Vanessa Reynoso's free kick from 25 yards out sailed in under the cross bar to tie the game in the 18th minute.
In the second half, JBU went back to work on the Drovers' side of the field and quickly put the game away.
Ryan Winingham connected on a Paige Kula pass for a header in the 59th minute to take a 2-1 lead.
Exactly six minutes later, Sienna Carballo was fouled inside the 18-yard box and JBU was awarded a penalty kick. Kula stepped up and gave the Golden Eagles a 3-1 lead in the 65th minute.
A little more than three minutes later, the Golden Eagles went up 4-1 when Gifte Pavatt scored off an Emma Schoenberg assist in the 68th minute to take a 4-1 lead.
Kula picked up her second assist of the night in the 71st minute when her corner kick found Paige Martin for a goal and a 5-1 lead.
Paulsen said execution on set pieces was a big key against the Drovers, who John Brown beat 1-0 on Feb. 27 at Alumni Field.
"We played them pretty early on this season," she said. "We had a lot of things to figure out, and I think we figured out a lot of those things."
John Brown had the shooting edge on the Drovers 24-7, which includes a 14-4 mark on target.
Defensively goalkeeper Caitlyn Logan made three saves after giving up the early goal. Logan improved to 12-0 on the season in goal.
John Brown will now turn its attention to getting ready for the national tournament this week. Paulsen said it's exciting for her program, especially getting to play at home.
"It always is," she said. "Anytime you can play at home in front of a crowd like this, it's always exciting."
