By OAKLEE FIELDER
The Lady Rangers’ win streak ended in Searcy, Arkansas after a loss to Harding University, followed up by a loss to Ouachita Baptist University.
Both losses ended in scores of 1-0. These two losses dropped the Lady Rangers from first to fourth in the Great American Conference standings. The two teams Northwestern lost to sit 1st and 2nd in the standings.
The game against Harding was a battle between the defenses. The first half went by without a score, but Harding had 11 shots against Northwestern’s two. It wasn’t until late in the second half that a goal was scored. Harding scored in the 76th minute, 14 minutes until the final whistle. That goal was the only one of the game. Harding had nine shots in the second half, the Lady Rangers had one.
Harding got the best of Northwestern offensively as they had nine shots on goal and three corners. The Lady Rangers had only two shots on goal and had one corner, showing they weren’t able to get much momentum on the offensive side of the game.
The two shots on goal for the Lady Rangers came from Cambell Tabor and Olivia Staton. Taylor Annen recorded eight saves in the duel against the Lady Bisons.
After their loss to Harding, the Lady Rangers stayed in Arkansas for their battle against the Tigers from Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
The game against the Tigers was a match between the goalkeepers. Once again, there was only one goal scored in this game. In the first 10 minutes, the two teams had shots on goal. In the first half, the Lady Rangers outshot the Tigers 8-7, but neither team were able to finish their shots.
Shortly after the second half started, the Tigers scored. With 41 minutes on the clock, the Lady Rangers tried and tried to get into the Ouachita goalkeeper’s box, but struggled to. Northwestern only recorded three shots in the second half, five less than the first half. The Tigers heavily outshot the Lady Rangers in the second half as Ouachita had 13.
The Lady Rangers only had two of their shots on goal. Ouachita had eight on goal. Taylor Annen recorded seven saves against the Tigers, giving her 15 over the weekend. Mylee Yuill and Staton had the two shots on goal. Alyssa Hotze gave the most shots with three, but none of them were on the net.
The next games for the Lady Rangers will be against Oklahoma Baptist University on Wednesday in Shawnee, and then they come home for Homecoming weekend. On Saturday, they play rival team Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Northwestern defeated Oklahoma Baptist earlier this year 2-0.