HILLSBORO, Kan. (TaborBluejays.com) – Looking to improve their conference record, Tabor faced Kansas Wesleyan on Wednesday evening on their home turf. The Bluejays entered the contest with a conference record of 1-2 and an overall record of 1-4-2. The Coyotes came into the evening with an overall record of 4-3-1 and a conference record of 2-1-1.
Kansas Wesleyan quickly gained control on offense early in the match, attempting a shot at scoring around the 10-minute mark but coming up short. Much of the action after that was back-and-forth across the turf, but Abe Friesen took a chance and couldn’t find the back of the net either. A couple minutes later, Kamille Kum of Kansas Wesleyan netted a goal for the Coyotes as they took the lead with plenty of time left in the half. The action slowed for the rest of the half, as both teams had trouble putting anything into play. KWU took one more shot as the clock wound down, but Alejandro Honrado recorded his first save of the evening, keeping the halftime score at 1-0 in favor of the Coyotes.
Molelwa Abendelwa came into the second half ready to equalize, firing a shot at the goal but narrowly missing. After two more shots from Kansas Wesleyan and another by Friesen for the Bluejays, it was clear that both teams were struggling to find the back of the net. Cooper Taylor also took a chance on a header shot but couldn’t find a way to even the score. Honrado recorded another save and yet again kept the Coyotes to just a one-goal lead.
After a relatively quiet match in terms of scoring, Kansas Wesleyan put up a total of eight shots while Honrado recorded three total saves on defense for the Bluejays. In the end, Kansas Wesleyan’s early goal proved to be the difference in a closely contested match. Despite their efforts, Tabor was unable to equalize, with several near-misses and solid defensive work from both sides. The Coyotes managed to secure a 1-0 victory, improving their conference record to 3-1-1, while Tabor’s struggles continued, dropping them to 1-3 in conference play. Both teams showed moments of promise, but Kansas Wesleyan’s ability to capitalize on an early opportunity sealed the win.
On Saturday, Tabor is faced with another conference matchup against Evangel University, where they will travel to Springfield, Mo. to take on the Valor at 7:30 p.m.
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Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).