After being forced to field 10 players after the 15th minute, Sam Houston State soccer held strong before eventually falling 3-0 to the College of Charleston on Sunday in Austin.
The Bearkats (0-4) went a player down early when senior Kylie Dick was sent off for a tackle from behind on a goal-scoring opportunity at the 18-yard-box for the Cougars (1-3). The usual center midfielder starter from San Diego, California was starting as an outside back for the Kats.
Sophomore goalkeeper Bailey Swain got the start for the second straight game and tipped the ensuing free kick over the crossbar to hose off the early threat. She kept the clean sheet through her 45 minutes in goal, stopping a few one-on-one stops.
Sam Houston opened the second half as if the team had all 11 on the field. Sophomore forward Lindsey Bienski worked her way into the box in the 52nd minute and struck a shot on goal. Three minutes later, SHSU almost got its first set piece goal of the season when senior forward Allie Johnson hit the side netting from freshman Taylor Pritchard's corner kick.
It seemed as if the Kats could hold onto the clean sheet until the College of Charleston's Laura Ortega finished a rebound past freshman goalkeeper Anna Kaiser near the goal line in the 67th minute.
A minute later the Cougars doubled the lead when on a tapped-in the ball from a cross into the six-yard-box. College of Charleston toe-poked one final goal in the 87th minute to earn the team's first win in its past 10 games.
The Bearkats tallied eight shots in total, with six coming in the second period while undertaking 29 College of Charleston opportunities. Johnson led the charge for Sam Houston with four shots.
The Kats will return to Austin on Friday to face the University of Texas at 7 p.m. and then will play Rice on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. in Houston. SHSU will stay on the road for the following five games after before returning to Pritchett Field on Sept. 30 against McNeese.
