October 22, 2024

Waxahachie, TX – The Nelson University Lady Lions faced a tough match against the visiting Oklahoma City Stars on Tuesday afternoon at the Lions Athletic Complex. In front of a dedicated crowd of 58, the Lady Lions battled hard but ultimately fell 3-1 to a formidable opponent, with Xitlali Avila netting the lone goal for Nelson University.

The Lady Lions found themselves under pressure early, with Oklahoma City taking the lead at the 27:06 mark. Amelia Horsford capitalized on an assist from Yessenia Ochoa-Lopez, breaking through the Lady Lions' defense to put the Stars on the board. Just minutes later, Oklahoma City doubled their advantage. A penalty kick by Yami Ponce at 30:12 extended the visitors' lead to 2-0. Ponce wasn't finished, as she found the back of the net again just over a minute later, making it 3-0 by the 31st minute, leaving the Lady Lions with an uphill battle for the remainder of the match.

Though the Lady Lions were unable to recover in the first half, they regrouped and came out stronger after the break. Defensively, goalkeepers Tanner Sorenson and Samantha Longoria combined for five crucial saves, limiting further damage and giving the Lady Lions a fighting chance.

It wasn't until the 75:50 mark that Nelson University finally broke through Oklahoma City's defense. Xitlali Avila found the net after coming off the bench, breathing life into the Lady Lions and preventing the shutout with a well-taken goal. Avila's strike was assisted by solid build-up play and gave the home crowd something to cheer about as the match concluded 3-1.
 

Team Statistics
Nelson University managed six shots throughout the contest, with three on target. Oklahoma City outshot the Lady Lions with 13 shots, eight of which were on target. Despite the loss, the Lady Lions showed resilience, winning four corner kicks and committing only four fouls compared to Oklahoma City's five.
 

Next Up for the Lady Lions
The Lady Lions will look to bounce back as they prepare for another tough home fixture this Saturday, October 26, at 5:00 PM. They'll face off against Mid-America Christian University at the Lions Athletic Complex in Waxahachie, TX.

Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.