LAFAYETTE, Louisiana – The Middle Tennessee women’s soccer team lost their first away game of the new season tonight with a 5-1 defeat to the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at the Home Bank Soccer and Track Complex in Lafayette, Louisiana.
In front of 240 spectators, Louisiana opened the scoring of the game. In the sixth minute, Sienna Hurrell scored with a left-foot shot into the bottom corner, giving the home team an early 1-0 lead.
midfield Manon Lebargy would create MTSU’s first promising chance of the night in the 11th minute, forcing goalkeeper Natalie Mayes to make her first save of the game.
The Ragin Cajuns doubled their lead just six minutes later with a goal from new forward Adeline Nemeth in the 12th minute, with the assist going to Sydney Barnes.
After another 14 minutes of goalless play, the Blue Raiders were able to score in the 26th minute when the second-year midfielder Arasaki Rose cut the home lead in half with the first goal of her college career. The chance came from an assist by the first-year striker Lexi Dendis and Arasaki finished with his left foot, breathing new life into MTSU.
That success didn’t last long, however, as Louisiana regained its two-goal lead on a goal from Sisley Stephens, with assists from Brynn Dunbar and Barnes, extending the home team’s lead to 3-1.
Goalkeeper from Middle Tennessee Demi Gronauer had to parry a shot by Louisiana’s Aila Swinton in the 32nd minute for her first save of the night, keeping the deficit at two goals.
The Ragin Cajuns maintained their 3-1 lead until halftime.
The home team came out of the break with the first four scoring chances of the second half, and each one required another goal-line appearance from Groanuer to keep the Blue Raiders within striking distance. Louisiana continued to extend its lead, scoring its fourth goal of the night with a goal from Lucy Ortiz in the 59th minute.
In the 66th minute, Louisiana’s Hailly Waterhouse received the first warning of the game with a yellow card, shortly followed by another scoring opportunity for the Ragin Cajuns and another save from Gronauer, her seventh of the evening.
Louisiana added its fifth goal to its tally in the 73rd minute, increasing the score to 5-1 after a goal by the Cajuns’ fifth different goalscorer, Tori Bockstädter.
The game ended 5-1 for Louisiana, with the Blue Raiders firing eight shots, two on goal, including Arasaki’s goal in the 26th minute. Gronauer finished the game with 10 saves on 22 total shots, which is a career high. In addition to Gronauer, the seniors Sascha Nielsen And Emma Brown played the full 90 minutes, just like in the season opener against Belmont.
Next game:
The Blue Raiders return home to face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles on Matchday 3 on Sunday, August 25th at 5:00 p.m. at the Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium.
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