HILLSBORO, Kan. (TaborBluejays.com) – Last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Southwestern College left the Lady Bluejays on the hunt to improve their conference performance as they prepared to host Kansas Wesleyan University at home on Wednesday evening. The Bluejays went into the contest with an overall record of 2-3-3 and a conference record of 1-1-1, while the Coyotes came in with an overall record of 4-4-1 and a perfect conference record of 4-0.
The Coyotes wasted no time on offense in the first half, netting their first goal less five minutes into the match. KWU would continue to take control on the offensive side, taking two more shots just a few minutes later but coming up unsuccessful on both attempts. After an eventful first ten minutes of the match, the action slowed as it became a back-and-forth battle across the turf. The next attempt at scoring for either team would be around the 27-minute mark, in which Neve Mulrooney recorded her first save of the match as Kansas Wesleyan attempted to extend their lead. Two more shots were taken by two different Coyotes towards the end of the half, but neither were successful as time expired.
After a mostly defensive first half for the Lady Bluejays, Tabor entered the second half looking to equalize the score. April Ochoa took her first shot of the match less than a minute into the second half but was unable to find the back of the net. Jami Dooley took her chance at scoring two different times, but both of her attempts were denied as the Bluejays were left scoreless. At the 56-minute mark, the Coyotes extended their lead to 2-0 by a goal from Grace Conner. Ochoa retaliated almost instantly with an impressive goal that led the Bluejays to narrow the gap with Kansas Wesleyan.
Many other Bluejays took their shot nearing the end of the half, including Porsha Zweifel, Cassidy Boyer, and April Ochoa attempting three more times. Unfortunately, Tabor was unable to take advantage of the opportunity and ended the match with a 1-2 loss to the Coyotes. Despite a disappointing outcome, Neve Mulrooney recorded three saves on the evening and the Lady Bluejays showed an impressive defensive effort throughout the match, as Kansas Wesleyan was only able to capitalize on two of their thirteen total shots.
This Saturday, the Lady Bluejays will travel to Evangel University where they will play their next conference match, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The Valor will enter the contest with an overall record of 2-5-1 and a conference record of 1-3. The Bluejays’ encounter with the Valor last season resulted in a 2-0 victory, and this year’s matchup will record the second overall meeting with Evangel in program history.
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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).