ADA, Okla. – After falling behind 2-0, the East Central University soccer team put up a fight late in the second half but fell short 2-1 to UT Tyler in the 2023 home opener at Tiger Soccer Field.
 
The match was pretty even between both teams with each squad recording nine shots on goal, making it a very close contest. The Patriots were able to put up 18 total shots in the match while the Tigers took a season high 12.
 
Shots from Tanja Bauboeck, Amorette Ramos, and Madelyn Bird kept the Patriots busy on defense, but were all just shy of landing a score. Both teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the first half, but the score would remain 0-0 heading into halftime.
 
Out of the break, Paige Jones and Tanja Bauboeck were first to attack to try to put the Tigers on the board but were both denied with two saves from the Patriots keeper.
 
In the 51^st minute, UT Tyler would find the back of the net over the out-stretched arms of Linea Anderson for the 1-0 advantage. Fifteen minutes later, the Patriots managed to get a header goal to extend their lead to 2-0.
 
With time still left to play, the Tigers refused to back down and continued to fight until the end. In the 81^st minute, Lorianne Baugh found an open Cambori Watson inside the gap and Watson shot one straight into the goal, giving ECU some excitement with nine minutes left in the match.
 
Addisyn Brown and Brooklyn Meisner were able to fire one more shot each with the final minutes ticking down, but one was off the mark and the other was saved by the keeper, solidifying a slim 2-1 Patriots victory.
 
ECU be back in action at home on Monday, Sept. 11 for a matchup with Rogers State University at 4 pm.