MONROE, La. | Jackson State women's soccer showed flashes of promise Sunday afternoon, taking an early lead against ULM before the Warhawks rallied in the second half to earn a 5-1 victory at Brown Stadium.
The Tigers came out with purpose and struck first in the 27th minute. Ryanne Hawthorn-Harper put Jackson State on the board at the 27:15 mark, giving the Tigers a 1-0 advantage that they carried into halftime.
Jackson State's defensive effort was also strong during the opening 45 minutes. Goalkeeper Kianah Farmer made two saves in the first half, including stops on shots from ULM's Angela Moreno and Ines De Lope Casanova, helping the Tigers protect their one-goal advantage.
The Tigers continued to create opportunities after halftime. Jackson State generated six shots in the second half and finished the match with 10 total shots, seven of which were on goal.
ULM answered early in the second half, tying the match at 1-1 on Beth Strutton's goal in the 49th minute. The Warhawks then took control of the scoreboard with three goals in a span of just over 12 minutes, including two from Jade Bowé.
Despite the deficit, Jackson State continued to battle. Hawthorn-Harper tested ULM goalkeeper Jen Handy with a shot in the 77th minute, while Kaila Tablado and Mariah Burnett also put shots on target late in the match. Handy finished with six saves for ULM.
Farmer turned in a busy performance in goal for the Tigers, finishing with five saves on 18 ULM shots.
ULM added two more goals late, including Amy Sharkey's penalty-kick goal in the 83rd minute, to close out the scoring at 5-1.
While the final score favored the Warhawks, Jackson State's first-half performance provided encouraging moments, particularly the early goal from Hawthorn-Harper and the defensive work that allowed the Tigers to take a lead into the break.
Jackson State returns to action looking to build on those positives and carry the energy from its strong opening half into its next contest.
"We were really excellent for 45 minutes and then we weren't excellent," said head coach Ted Flogaites. "I felt like we quit after the equalizer and that's an issue and it's one that's on me to solve. Everything we currently aren't doing well, which is a myriad of things, is my responsibility. Jackson State is very important to me and the players and we are going to do much more to give a better account of our team than has been on display to date."
Up Next
The Tigers will visit Arkansas in Fayetteville on Friday, September 4. Kick off is set for 1 p.m.
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