WT scores early, notches 3-1 win over Hounds

West Texas A&M did all its damage before halftime on Thursday night and the Buffaloes posted a 3-1 men's non-league soccer win in a battle of LSC rivals at Steve Hoy Family Foundation Stadium.

The setback completed a season-opening, three-match homestand for the Greyhounds (1-1-1).

Neither team seized momentum early, but the Buffs (1-1-1) broke through in the 10th minute when junior forward Gabriel Nevarez found junior defender Zakaria Daaou sprinting down the middle of the field. Daaou was able to sidestep ENMU freshman goalkeeper Milo Paci and pushed the ball into an open net.

About nine minutes later, junior defender Matteo Landais took a pass from Nevarez and knocked it in for a two-goal advantage. Sophomore midfielder Alan Martinez scored with less than 90 seconds remaining in the half to give the Buffs command.

ENMU broke up the shutout with less than 12 minutes to go when junior defender Pablo Nodar slipped a shot past WT sophomore goalkeeper Bryce Cottle.

For the match, the Buffs outshot the Hounds 4-3 on goal. Each team finished with two corner kicks.

ENMU was slated to play its first road tilt of the campaign on Saturday against Northeastern State at Tahlequah, Okla. The Hounds return to action in a two-day event this weekend at Wichita Falls, Texas, hosted by Midwestern State, with 4 p.m. (MDT) matches slated on Thursday against the host Riverhawks and on Saturday against Fort Hays State.

Cross country – ENMU's squads finished seventh in an eight-team men's field and eighth in an 11-team women's bracket on Thursday in Midwestern State's Mustang Derby at Wichita Falls.

Cameron took the men's team title with 37 points to 60 for North Central Texas College, while following were Southern Nazarene 90, Dallas Baptist 96, Ranger College 110, Mid-America Christian 120, ENMU 178 and University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma 254.

Cameron sophomore Kgaogelo Moloisi grabbed individual honors in the 6K event with a time of 18 minutes, 13.5 seconds.

ENMU's young squad was led by freshman Bryan Hernandez, 30th in 20:55.9. Meantime, freshmen Justin Sauceda (21:34.3) and Thomas Aerdts (21:40.7) were 36th and 37th, respectively; sophomore Brian Norton was 40th in 21:45.9; freshman Jackson Gable was 46th in 22:22.9; senior Ethan Woodrome ran 55th in 22:56.9, and freshman Alec Forney came in 64th in 25:32.6.

Midwestern captured team honors in the 4K women's event with 37 points, followed by Oklahoma Christian 55, Cameron 60, Dallas Baptist 109, Ranger 167, Southern Nazarene 194, North Central Texas College 196, ENMU 228, Southwestern Oklahoma and Mid-American Christian 232 (Southwestern Oklahoma had the higher finish based on a better No. 5 time) and USAO 333.

The individual winner was Oklahoma Christian freshman Kinley Kite in 13:58.5.

ENMU ran an all-freshman quintet, led by Elizabeth Lujan-Towles in 15:33.3. Other finishes were Sanne Janssen, 55th in 16:52.7; Valentina Rocabado-Salazar, 63rd in 17:13.2; Sylvia Lagat, 65th in 17:289.9, and Faith Jopchirchir, 82nd in 18:59.4.

Next up for the Hounds is New Mexico Highland's XC Jam, scheduled for Sept. 27 at Las Vegas, N.M.