ABILENE, Texas – Three first Half goals helped McMurry University to a 4-2 victory over Texas Lutheran University Saturday afternoon at Edwards Field. Three different players scored over a span of seven minutes and 51 seconds in the first half to give the War Hawks their fourth win of the season.
McMurry was outshot in the contest 20-11 but made them count by landing seven of the 11 shots on goal. War Hawks goalie Makenzie Hargrove saved six bulldog shots allowing two-second half goals.
The War Hawks scored the eventual game winner in the 30
th minute of the contest when
Kristen Grant scored her sixth goal of the season off a deflection from a Bulldog defender from the top of the six-yard box.
McMurry scored the first goal of the match in the 23
rd minute when
Miranda Nguyen gave a one touch pass to Grant, who found
Paige Harwell with her one touch pass; Harwell beat the goalie to the upper right corner of the goal. Less than two minutes later McMurry struck again off a corner kick by Harwell. Harwell sent the corner kick into the box and found Sydnie Rangel who beat the Bulldog keeper who came out to defend the corner.
McMurry lead the match 3-0 at the half but surrendered two goals in the second half as Texas Lutheran cut the lead to one on a goal in the 81
st minute of the match when Whitney Rayo beat the McMurry goalie in the lower right corner from the 18 yard box. The first goal for the Bulldogs was scored by Sunny Valencia-Balanta in the 50
th minute of the match
McMurry scored its final goal in the 88
th minute when former goalie
Hillari Chambers took a pass from lone senior
Cynthia Quintana and chipped the Bulldog goalie. Quintana has played in 47 games playing for three different coaches and not winning a game until the seventh game of her junior season. The team will play their final two games on the road as Quintana ends her home career.
The win moves McMurry to 4-10 on the season carrying a 3-8-conference record. The loss moves TLU to 4-12 overall with a 4-7 record in ASC action. McMurry will face LeTourneau University and East Texas Baptist University Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. both days.
