ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University hosted senior day at Wilford Moore Stadium on Friday afternoon, as the War Hawks were unable to overcome one early mishap in a 1-0 loss to Howard Payne in American Southwest Conference action.

Prior to kickoff, McMurry honored seniors DJ Jaime and Angel Arredondo with a special ceremony. The duo was joined on the field by their family members and teammates.

HPU (1-5, 1-4 ASC) struck first in the game as Noah Platzer stole away a loose ball near the back line, got past the defense and scored to the right of the keeper in the 13th minute.

That one defensive lapse would be the difference maker despite strong play from McMurry (0-7, 0-5 ASC), who held a 15-5 advantage in shooting. McMurry had five shots on goal, while HPU only had two.

The War Hawks had two tough breaks on potential equalizers near the end of the contest, including an offside call on a ball in the net and a header by Jared Moore saved by the fingertip of goalkeeper Eduardo Flores.

Freshman Santiago Nunez had two more attempts in the final moments, but his bicycle kick and last-minute flick attempt were both saved by Flores.

Additionally, McMurry attempted 13 corners while only allowing one for HPU.

McMurry closes the regular season next Saturday, March 27 with a match against Sul Ross State in Alpine.