Lady Warriors Find Small Victories in Loss to KCAC Powerhouse
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Oklahoma Wesleyan () | 4 | 3 | 7 |
|
Sterling () | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Sterling, Kan. – The Lady Warriors took on the perennial powerhouse in the KCAC, Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Saturday. The Eagles were ranked #10 in the country coming into the game against Sterling. The Warriors have not seen much success in recent years against the Eagles, but were able to find small victories, even in taking the 7-1 loss.
To start, Sterling played ten solid minutes, defending well and not allowing any quality shots, even moving the ball to the offensive side of the field a few times, even though they were not able to put anything early on. The Eagles got on the board in the 13th minute utilizing good ball movement and disciplined play. OKWU went on a 3 minute barrage of offense scoring 2 more goals in the next two minutes making the score 3-0 in the 16th minute. They added one more goal in the last 30 seconds before the half making it 4-0 at halftime.
The second half was similar to the first with the Eagles scoring 3 more goals all in the first 17 minutes of play. Sterling capped the day with a shining moment of their own. With 39 seconds left in regulation, Jessica Gautreau got free in front of the net and scored the only goal for the Warriors. That goal is just the second goal OKWU has given up in conference play this season. Through moments like these, you can see the progress and confidence that Justin McCain and the Lady Warriors are gaining as they rebuild this soccer team.
Gautreau scored the Warriors only goal of the day. Shaylee Gibbs played all 90 minutes in the net. She recorded 11 saves in the match. Sterling's defense has been drastically improved. The total shots allowed were cut in half from last year's match. Sterling is now 4-6 (1-5) this season. The Warriors play two conference matches next week. Wednesday they play Tabor at 5 pm in Hillsboro, and next Saturday they travel to Friends University for a night game at 7:30.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
