CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State women's soccer team dropped its Heartland Conference opener to Dallas Baptist 6-2 Thursday night at Soldier Field.
With the weather starting to feel like fall in northeastern Oklahoma, the Hillcats could not recover from a stretch where the Patriots posted three goals in a span of 3:04 in the first half.
Courtney Tucker nearly struck right from the opening kickoff as the senior sent a clear shot on goal from 18 yards only to be turned aside by a diving effort from Patriots' goalkeeper Jenna Ackerly.
DBU broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when McKenna Namken tapped in a perfect cross from Ashley Cox for the 1-0 lead.
RSU's
Taylor Williams snuck behind the defense one minute after the opening marker, but her 15-yard effort clanged off the inside of the far post, deflecting clear across the face of goal, and harmlessly away in the 15th minute.
The Patriots added three more goals in quick succession before the halftime whistle for a 4-0 advantage at intermission getting back-to-back tallies from Lindsey Eccles.
The Hillcats came out of the locker room again with a flurry as they got onto the scoreboard just 1:06 into the final frame.
Ashley Pruitt wasted no time in coming off the bench in the second half tallying her first collegiate goal after intercepting a DBU clearance and blasting a shot under the keeper.
DBU regained its four-goal edge in the 55th minute as Cox delivered another cross to Namken.
Paige Pontarolo scored on a penalty kick for the Hillcats with 53 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Patriots closed out the 6-2 decision in the conference opener for both squads.
Tayler Stover suffered the loss for RSU turning aside three shots while DBU's Ackerly made two saves earning the victory.
The Hillcats (0-10, 0-1 HC) are back in action Saturday facing their first nationally-ranked opponent of the season when No. 25 St. Edward's visits Soldier Field for a 2:30 p.m. start. The match can be viewed live on the Hillcat Network at
www.rsuhillcats.com/live.
