HOUSTON, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer team suffered a 5-0 loss on Sunday at Southland Conference rival Houston Baptist University.

A nine minute stretch of the first half undid the Cardinals (1-11-1, 1-4-1) who entered the match with a win and tie in their last two appearances.  The Huskies (4-6-3, 3-1-2) scored three times between the 17^th and 26^th minutes of the game.  Connor Ryder opened the scoring at 16:06.  She took a crossing pass from Taylor Gibson and put it in the net.  Blake Martin was also credited with an assist on the play.

Natalie Hager followed Ryder's goal with a pair of her own.  She tallied a score at 19:07 after Rebekah Tovar's throw-in was headed by Kristi O'Brien to Hagar for the goal.   She scored her second goal at 25:18 after Ellee Hall stole the ball from the UIW defense and gave her a pass in the box.  Hagar flipped her shot over Heather Kowalik (Boerne/Champion HS) for a 3-0 lead.

The Cardinals settled down after that and started to create some of their own chances in the first half.  However, UIW allowed a goal in the final 30 seconds of the first half for the third time this year.  HBU's Kelsey Missimer sent a cross into the box as the seconds ticked down and Morgan Dean headed it home with only three seconds left in the half.

The second half went better for the Cardinals, but they could not find the key to unlock the HBU defense.  Late in the game, HBU was credited with a fifth goal when a cross into the box was kicked into the goal by the UIW defense on accident.

Patty Walrath and Katie Turner combined on the shutout for the Huskies with each player making three saves in goal.  HBU attempted 23 shots in the game while the Cardinals fired 16 shots.  Kowalik played the first 45 minutes in goal for UIW while Karly Brightwell (Houston/Elkins HS) played the second half.

The Cardinals are back in action on Sunday at home against Abilene Christian at 1 p.m.
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