BROWNWOOD –
Megan Attenborough scored after a corner kick with less than 20 minutes left to boost Wayland to a 1-0 win over Howard Payne, giving the Pioneers their best start in program history.
Tuesday afternoon's victory in Gordon Wood Stadium boosted Wayland's record to 3-0-1, just one win from matching the team's total from all of last season (4-13).
"I'm absolutely glad to have 'Ws' in our column right now," Wayland coach
Shiloh Posey said. "It's a good atmosphere. The team seems to be interacting well together, and that makes it even more enjoyable."
The Pioneers have never been unbeaten after their first four matches. Now in its 15
th year, the program's best previous start was 3-1-0 in 2013, when Wayland won a program-best 13 matches.
"We still have work to do but there are definite positives going on," Posey said.
Against NCAA Division III Howard Payne, which was making its season debut, the lone goal was Attenborough's second in as many matches and came after the junior from England got the ball on the left wing about 25 yards out.
"She took a couple of really nice dribbles into a nice space and put the ball into the upper corner of the back post, just over the keeper's hands," Posey said. "Their keeper did a nice job all day, and Megan put it the only place she couldn't reach it."
Wayland "went into defensive mode" after that.
"They started pushing hard, and we adjusted our formation to try to stop movement through the middle," Posey said, adding that junior keeper
Kaitlyn Brantzeg "came up big a couple of times.
"It was another one of those nail-biters."
Wayland controlled most of the match, getting off nine shots compared to four for the Yellow Jackets. Four of WBU's shots were on-goal, while HPU was on target with two, both saved by Brantzeg.
Taylor Moore got off a team-high three shots, although the junior transfer was held without a goal for the first time this season. Both of
Kayla Ortiz's shots were on-goal for WBU.
"The ball bounced around a little funny today," Posey said. "We did some good things, moved the ball around a bit, and had several opportunities."
It was Brantzeg's second shutout of the season, along with a 3-0 season-opening win over Texas A&M-Texarkana.
Wayland's other results have been a 2-1 win over Paul Quinn College on Saturday in Dallas and a 1-1 tie with NCAA Division II West Texas A&M. All four matches – along with two scrimmages – have been on the road.
Now the Pioneers get to play for the first time this season at J.V. Hilliard Field when Wayland hosts Friends University (Kan.) on Saturday. The home-opener will start at 3 p.m. (Unfortunately, no live coverage is planned.)
"I have a feeling the girls are going to want to prove that what we've been able to do has not been by accident," Posey said.
Friends is 2-0 this season, having beaten fellow Sooner Athletic Conference member Southwestern Christian in its season-opener, 3-2, followed by another 3-2 win over Park University. Before traveling to Plainview, the Falcons face another SAC school, Texas Wesleyan, on Friday in Fort Worth.
"It should be a competitive game, and I encourage everyone to come watch. We'll give them our best effort."
Friends won the only previous meeting with Wayland, 4-0 in 2016.
"We'll be looking to continue what we've started. I'm very grateful each of the ladies has been able to contribute in some shape or form to our success."
Saturday's match will mark the start of five straight home outings for Wayland. The Pioneers host University of the Southwest (N.M.) on Sept. 12 and Texas-Permian Basin on Sept. 15 before opening conference against Bacone and Texas Wesleyan.
Posey said the Pioneers must "fine-tune" their play.
"That's where we're at now. Our execution and thought processes are developing. Now it's a matter of making those quick decisions that will make us more efficient at what we're trying to do."
