ADA, Okla. – The East Central University soccer team hosted Ouachita Baptist University at Tiger Soccer Field in the second-to-last home Great American Conference match of the 2022 season, falling 1-0 in the end.
 
"We fought hard today, and I'm proud of our team," Head Coach Riley Bailey said. "We left everything out on the field, and we came up just a bit short."
 
Makayla Smith opened up the shooting in the opening half to try and get on the scoreboard first, but it was off target. Ouachita answered back with five shots, two of which were denied by McKenna Leveling. But the lone score of the game came later in the first half when Ouachita found the back of the net in the 31^st minute to take the lead 1-0 going into halftime.
 
In the second half, Kaylee Bruce came out on the attack adding two shot attempts, one in the 49^th minute and the other in the 56^th minute but neither could tie the game. Ouachita would go to shoot 8 more times in the remainder of the period to try and increase their lead but the Tiger defense would keep them scoreless in the second half. Claudia Garcia and Kaylee Bruce would be the last two ECU players to put up shots, but the game eventually ended in a final score of 1-0 in favor of Ouachita.
 
Ouachita outshot East Central 16-7 in the 90 minute-match. Kaylee Bruce led ECU with four total shots. Claudia Garcia was next with two shots and Makayla Smith added one of her own. East Central was held to two shots on goal, one coming from Bruce and the other from Garcia. McKenna Leveling finished the game with four saves.
 
The East Central University soccer team will host its final match of the 2022 regular-season Saturday, Oct. 27 against Harding University at 11 a.m. ECU soccer will be honoring three seniors – Alexis Perez, Jocelyn Caracheo, and Lauren Butler. Senior Day festivities will start at 10:45 a.m.