TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State connected on four tries from four players in a 4-2 victory over Missouri Western Sunday afternoon on Senior Day.
The RiverHawks found early offense off the foot of
Fran Badillo, as the junior struck the back of the net with her first goal of the season on a 17th-minute try to give NSU the early lead.
Sydney Taylor made it a multi-score advantage in the 24th, connecting off a corner kick for her eighth make of the season. The defense pitched a shutout across the first half to secure the 2-0 lead after 45 minutes, holding the Griffons to four attempts and two shots on goal.
The second half brought even more fireworks on the offensive end. After MWSU cut the NSU lead in half off a 48th-minute goal (2-1), the RiverHawks responded with two unanswered in as many minutes from
Whitney Gentry on her third score of the season in the 50th and
Abagayle Barnes with the first goal of her collegiate career in the 51st. The two scores made it a 4-1 match, giving the RiverHawks their largest lead of the day with three goals separating the teams.
Missouri Western logged another goal in the 57th but could not add to their total, despite keeping Northeastern State from getting another shot across the rest of the match and having four shots of their own.
The Senior Day matchup marked the final home appearances for NSU's four seniors:
Brooke Baldon,
Hayley Garcia,
Kamari Jefferson, and
Lexis Walls. Garcia, Jefferson, and Walls received starts, while Baldon saw 27 minutes in the win.
The win moved NSU to 5-7-4 (3-5-1 MIAA) while the loss is just MWSU's second on the road this season, dropping the Griffons to 5-6-5 (3-3-3 MIAA).
Northeastern State plays its penultimate match of the regular season on the road, taking on Newman on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in Wichita, Kan. in continued MIAA action.
