Junior forward Shelby McDaniel scored the opening goal in the 17th minute against Abilene Christian for Sam Houston State soccer, but SHSU couldn’t hold the lead.
The Bearkats lost 3-2 Friday to drop their Southland Conference opener.
Eight minutes after McDaniel’s header, senior defender Tiffany Ysassi drained a long-range shot for ACU to tie the game up 1-1.
The Wildcats were able to take a 3-1 lead over the Bearkats when freshman forward Chloe Fifer scored at the beginning of the second half followed by freshman forward Baylee Mitchell draining a shot from just outside the box in the 75th minute.
“I thought we were just a little bit inconsistent today,” head coach Tom Brown said.
McDaniel gave life to the Bearkats with seven minutes left to play in the game. Dribbling the ball back-and-forth with her defender, McDaniel then ripped a shot to beat the ACU’s goalkeeper sophomore Kelsey Dombrowski for the second time of the night.
The goal sparked a push for a comeback, but the Bearkats’ run was short lived as the final whistle blew.
SHSU falls to 0-1 in Southland Conference play. The Bearkats return to Pritchett Field on Sunday for a match against Incarnate Word.