TAHLEQUAH -- Ivan Lopez and Luis Felipe Karam connected with makes as No. 22 Northeastern State soared to a conference-opening 2-0 win against Harding Saturday afternoon.

The fireworks started for NSU in the 28th minute, when Ivan Lopez scored his fourth goal of the season off an assist from Marc Ackerman. They held a 1-nil advantage for almost 50 minutes of game time before Luis Felipe Karam found the back of the net for his first goal as a RiverHawk in the 76th minute from an assist from Mung Mang. 

The defense stayed strong for the RiverHawks, as they finished with their third consecutive shutout and their fourth of 2023. While the teams both finished with ten shots, RiverHawk goalkeepers Ian Milla and Gonzalo Castells recorded two saves apiece against the Bison four on-goal attempts to secure the shutout victory. 

The win places NSU at 3-1-2 and 1-0 in GAC/MIAA play, while the loss dropped the Bison to 3-4-1 (1-1 GAC/MIAA). The shutout is NSU's fifth straight against Harding while keeping their undefeated mark at home across the all-time series intact. 

NSU concludes their three-match homestand against No. 13 Rogers State on Thursday, Sep. 28 at 7 p.m. Read Full Article