Siloam Springs, AR – The Lady Lions faced a tough road test against No. 19 John Brown University, one of the top teams in the NAIA and the leader in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. Nelson struggled against the nationally ranked opponent, ultimately falling 5-1.
Nelson struggled to find its rhythm offensively, recording just two shot attempts throughout the match. Both shots were on target, with one coming from senior
Samantha Delgado and the other from freshman
Mia Martinez.
The John Brown Golden Eagles controlled the match from the start, applying pressure early and scoring four goals in the first half. They added one more goal in the second half while keeping the Lady Lions' offense in check for most of the match.
John Brown opened the scoring in just the fourth minute before adding goals in the 16th, 23rd, and 41st minutes to take a commanding lead into halftime. The Golden Eagles continued their attack in the second half, finding the net once more in the 74th minute to extend their advantage to 5-0.
Nelson showed some fight late in the match as freshman
Mia Martinez came off the bench and found the back of the net in the 86th minute. Her late goal gave the Lady Lions a much-needed breakthrough and cut the deficit to 5-1.
Goalkeeper Delaney Murphey faced a busy night in goal as John Brown recorded 15 shots, including 11 on target. Murphey finished with six saves, helping prevent the Golden Eagles from extending their lead even further.
The loss drops Nelson to 2-4-1 in conference play, with three matches remaining in the regular season.
Up Next
The Lady Lions will return home Tuesday to face Mid-America Christian University at 5 p.m. at the Lions Athletic Complex as they look to bounce back in front of the home crowd.
