PLAINVIEW, TX - An early goal proved to be the difference in a back-and-forth battle for conference-opening achievements as Wayland Baptist (6-2-1, 2-0 SAC) prevailed over Texas Wesleyan (5-3, 0-1 SAC) 1-0 Tuesday night.
 
Wayland's Taylor Moore scored her fourth goal of the season in the third minute, blasting the ball from left to right and up into the right corner past goalkeeper Lauren Bond. The Lady Rams, who have five different times this season scored a goal in the first six minutes, didn't get the fast start - despite Tameir Grosvenor getting a shot on target in the fifth minute (saved by Jennette Guia).
 
The game stayed close all the way through. Wayland got off 16 shots and forced Bond and Christy Zwart (who played in-goal in the second half) to force two saves each. Texas Wesleyan took 13 shots, also forcing four saves.
 
Grosvenor accounted for all four shots on goal, and took nine of the team's 13. It's amazing she wasn't able to manage a first half goal. After her first good look, Grosvenor put shots in the box in the 16th, 18th and 27th minutes - all Guia saves. She had a shot in the 19th minute sail wide. In the second half, Wayland powered her down, giving her only two decent looks at a score in the final 35 minutes of action.
 
Texas Wesleyan's defense held strong, not giving up anything but the early-game flick. Wayland went on a tear during a ten-minute stretch of the second half, getting off four different shots - one that was blocked and three that floated wide. The defense has given up just six goals in the last five games.
 
It was a rare loss for the Lady Rams. Not only was it just the second time Texas Wesleyan has ever lost to the Pioneers (now 9-2-1 all-time against Wayland) but it was the first time the Lady Rams lost a conference opener since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference in soccer in 2013.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
Texas Wesleyan returns home to face Central Christian College Saturday September 29 at 2 p.m.