By NICK VILLALOBOS
Sports Editor
Ranger’s soccer continues to struggle this season after another 0-3 shutout loss to Ouachita Baptist over the weekend.
The Northwestern soccer team faced the OAU Tigers Saturday in Arkansas. The Rangers entered AllCare Field looking to end the nine game losing streak as well as redeem their prior loss to the Tigers earlier this season.
The Tigers had other plans however, as they attacked the Rangers goal right off the bat in the first half. Tiger Haley Hatcher fired the first shot at the Ranger goal at just the 1:28 mark in the game. Fortunately, the shot would end up in the gloves of Ranger goalkeeper Kylee Wallace.
Wallace would go on to finish the first half with seven saves as the Tigers continued to attack the Rangers goal.
After a hard fought, back and forth battle in the first half, the score remained at a 0-0 deadlock heading into the half.
Of the first half, Rangers Alyssa Williams and Vianna Villa fires a shot each at the Tiger goal only to have OAU goalkeeper Lauren Llanes block both shots. Ranger Rebecca Jones recorded a shot at the Tigers goal as well but it would be saved by Llanes.
The Tigers continued to dominate the Rangers goal in the second half and keep the Rangers on their heels. Tiger Hatcher would break the 0-0 deadlock between the teams at the 56:29 minute mark of the half.
With momentum on their side, OAU added two more goal, one by Bryson Thomas and another by Hatcher. The second goal on the day for Hatcher was her 13 goal of the season.
Despite the 0-3 deficit that the Rangers faces through the midway point of the second half, they would not go down without a fight. Northwestern recorded four shots in the half with three of them following the Tigers third goal.
The shots would be just off mark unfortunately, which left the Rangers with a 3-0 loss yet again to the Tigers.
Northwestern finished with a total of seven shots with only two of them being on the mark. They would have a total of 11 saves in the game thanks to the combination of goalkeepers Wallace and Briana Legaspi who replaced Wallace at the start of the second half.
The Tigers finished with a staggering 30 shots with 14 of them being on the mark. They would also record only two saves on the day.
The Rangers (2-13-1, 0-10) now focus on their last two games of the regular season as they host Oklahoma Baptist tonight at 6 p.m. and Southern Nazarene on Saturday at 11 a.m.. Both games will be at the Alva Rec Complex.