Wayland Baptist battled hard on the road Wednesday evening, but the Pioneers came up short in a 3-1 setback against the University of Texas Permian Basin.
The Falcons struck early with goals in the 21st and 33rd minutes, putting the Pioneers in a 2-0 hole at halftime. Wayland showed resilience after the break, pressing forward and creating more opportunities in the attack. That persistence paid off in the 71st minute when Sofia Melendez found the back of the net off an assist from Camila Zavala, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Pioneers continued to apply pressure, firing seven shots in the second half, but UTPB goalkeeper Valeria Delgado held strong as the Falcons regained control with a late insurance goal in the 83rd minute.
Freshman keeper Ashley Lopez faced a busy night between the posts, recording six saves against 14 UTPB shots, while Melendez paced Wayland's offense with two shots and the team's lone goal. Zavala led all Pioneers with three shots, consistently challenging the Falcon defense.
Despite the loss, Wayland (3-2-0) showed determination in fighting back and will look to bounce back quickly. The Pioneers now turn their attention to a tough non-conference road test on Saturday, September 13th, when they visit West Texas A&M.
