Box Score FOLEY, Ala. – Facing their first NAIA top-three team of the weekend, the Fire started slowly and could not recover, falling to #3 Tennessee Southern, 5-1.
The match started an hour-and-45-minutes late due to rain and it was raining throughout the contest. Despite the sloppy conditions, the Firebirds kept the pressure on SEU from the start, outscoring the Fire 3-0 on an 11-4 advantage on shots in the first half.
The Fire seemed to gain their footing in the second half, as
Katie Carnes found the back of the net at the 64:14 mark off an assist from
Ariadna Lozano. SEU matched the Firebirds in shots for the frame at 10-10.
"The girls worked hard and showed real character as the game progressed," said head coach
Caleb Roberts. "Things were not going in our favor, but the focus continued and the team did not stop giving effort until the final whistle."
Marina Nawa scored twice for Tennessee Southern, while Maclani Michael, Mia Saum, and Nao Katamoto added a goal apiece. Keito Ido had two assists for the Firebirds.
With the loss, the Fire fall to 1-1-1, while Tennessee Southern improves to 5-0.
The Fire get the day off tomorrow before facing #2 William Carey on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
