SHERMAN, Texas – It may only have been the first match of the 2018 season, but the historic 4-1 win by the McMurry University women's soccer team at Austin College may well be an indicator of a seismic culture change occurring within the program under second-year head coach Charles Nobles. The non-conference victory by the War Hawks (1-0) over the Kangaroos (0-1) was dripping with landmark accomplishments, not the least of which was the fact it was the first time McM had ever won a season-opening contest as an NCAA III member school.
 
Only twice since its inception in 2001 has the McMurry women's soccer program even earned the "W" to begin a campaign – in 2013 and 2014 – with both of those occurring as the school was in transition to NCAA II status. In 2013 the War Hawks knocked off Schreiner University and Southwest Adventist University in 2014.
 
McM's win also came 18 years – to the day – on the anniversary of the first-ever game in program history. That inaugural bout - a 2-0 loss - was also versus Austin College and also played on the 'Roos home field. That setback also started what, over the next three seasons, would become a 50-match winless streak.
 
Thursday's win may just have exorcised a few of those demons.
 
The War Hawks also racked up their first-ever win over Austin College in eight tries. The four goals on Thursday might well have felt like the Mother Lode considering that McM had been shutout in six of the previous meetings and tallied just one goal (in 2003) versus the Kangaroos in the other.
 
And the 2018 meeting between the teams began on what could have easily been a demoralizing note, as a crossing pass in the third minute was not controlled by McM goalkeeper Jordan Gregory. AC's Catalina Canizalez was on the spot for the put-back goal to make it 1-0.
 
But rather than fold, the War Hawks seemed to use it as a rallying point and came right back just four minutes later with freshman Kate Holland launching a shot from 18-yards right of the goal to the far post to level matters at 1-1.
 
Another of McM's talented newcomers – Tagan Hansen – put her team ahead 2-1 heading into the halftime locker room, thanks to her first collegiate goal. Hansen was able to notch what would be the match-deciding goal in the 27th minute, putting in a deflected shot from Cristen Lumbreras that got away from AC goalie Meredith Harris.
 
In the second half, the sky fell in on the host Kangaroos…sort of.  McM sophomore Sky Reynolds – a transfer from UT-Tyler – added a pair of goals in the 61st and 76th minutes to salt away the victory. Both of Reynolds' goals were unassisted.
 
McM out-shot Austin by a 21-6 margin, as a suffocating War Hawks defense – led by Emily Fisher, Lyndsey Johnson, Holland, Karleigh Alsip and Kaitlyn Roberts – kept the Kangaroos in check. The defensive half of McM was so solid that neither Gregory nor Cindy Villasana – who each played a half – even registered a save.
 
McMurry will travel to LeTourneau University on Saturday evening (7 p.m.) for what will be a non-conference match in Longview, Texas.