BROWNWOOD, Texas – An early goal by sophomore Meriah Sikora gave McMurry Women's Soccer a one goal advantage almost the whole way, but a late strike by Howard Payne erased the lead as the War Hawks settled for a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
With back-to-back draws in American Southwest Conference action, McMurry now owns a 5-1-2 conference record and a 10-1-6 overall record. HPU moves to 6-8-2 overall and 2-5-1 in the ASC.
Sikora struck one into the high left corner in the 14th minute for the early advantage. The lead would last for 65 minutes until HPU's Lesly Garcia equalized the game.
In a fairly balanced game, McMurry held a 22-18 shot advantage. The Maroon and White also put 12 shots on goal, three more than the Yellow Jackets. McMurry took four corners while holding HPU cornerless.
Goalkeepers Cindy Villasana and Jordan Gregory split halves and each recorded four saves on the day. Villasana picked up the start, while Gregory played the remaining 65 minutes.
Sky Reynolds led the War Hawks with five shots and three shots on frame. Spreading the wealth, all but one starter attempted a shot for McMurry with 11 total players taking an opportunity.
The War Hawks return to Abilene for a two-game home stand next Thursday and Saturday, Oct. 24 and Oct. 26 to host Concordia (TX) and Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Thursday's game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Wilford Moore Stadium and will be an "All Cancer Awareness" promotion. Donations will be accepted by the team in an effort to help research efforts regarding multiple types of cancer.
