ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Stephens College Stars (2-11-2, 1-6-0 AMC) fought to the final whistle but fell 3-2 to Harris-Stowe State University (7-5-2, 4-2-1 AMC) in their regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon. Stephens displayed resilience on both sides of the ball, taking an early lead and remaining competitive throughout the contest.
The Stars struck first in the 11th minute when Kayln Apodaca found the back of the net unassisted, marking her third goal of the season. Harris-Stowe responded in the 25th minute to even the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.
In the second half, the Hornets scored twice in 12 minutes, with her first goal in the 58th minute followed by another in the 69th minute, putting the Hornets up 3-1.Â
Stephens quickly answered just a minute later, as Lourdes Dias netted her first goal of the season to bring the Stars within one. Despite a strong offensive push and multiple late corner kicks, Stephens could not find the equalizer.
Goalkeeper Sofia Ramos played an instrumental role defensively, recording nine saves in a high-pressure match up where Harris-Stowe recorded 17 shots to Stephens' 12.
With the regular season complete, the Stars head into the American Midwest Conference Tournament as the No. 7 seed. They will face No. 2-seeded Missouri Baptist on Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in St. Louis for the opening round.
