STEPHENVILLE – With temperatures well above 110 degrees on Sunday afternoon at the Tarleton Soccer Complex, the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Tarleton Texans.
 
The Lions and the Texans met for the first time on the soccer pitch on Sunday as the Texans are just in their second year of sponsoring a soccer program. The Lions fall to 0-1-1 on the season, the Texans are now 1-0-1.
 
"The conditions were very difficult today playing on turf at Tarleton," said coach Ashley Gordon. "However, we have to give the Tarleton team credit, they handled the conditions better than we did."
 
"With that being said, I'm disappointed with our effort and execution in the attacking end of the field. We will learn from this experience and apply it in training to get ready for Tulsa."
 
In the eighth minute, Mya Mitchell (Dallas – Mesquite Horn) took a shot that was saved, which was A&M-Commerce's first shot on goal of the match. The Lions were held to just one shot on goal in the second half, which was also saved. Tarleton's Mikayla Kendall posted a clean sheet in the net with four saves.
 
The Texans scored their first goal of the match in the 25^th minute. Tarleton took a corner kick, which was punched out by the Lions, but Sydney Rouillard was right there to head it in. Avery Harr and Adriana Alonso-Gomez had the assist.
 
Due to the heat, the Lions switched goalkeepers throughout the match. Sophia Dean (Spring – Grand Oaks) started the match, played 55 minutes, and recorded two saves. Gillian McKenzie (Mesquite Horn) stopped one shot in 35 minutes.
 
Tarleton's second goal of the match came in the 57^th minute off the foot of Jenaya Brown. Harr took a shot on goal that was saved by Dean, but Brown was there to kick in the rebound.
 
For the Texans, Harr had three shots on goal and all three were saved. Hannah Bell (Duncanville) and Kaydence Ramirez (Waxahachie) led the way with three shots each for the Lions.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions battle two American Athletic Conference teams next week, hosting Tulsa on Thursday at 7 p.m. and going across the DFW Metroplex to North Texas on Sunday.