ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' Cowgirl soccer team stayed perfect in American Southwest Conference play with a 3-0 victory over Howard Payne University on Saturday evening at home.
 
Hardin-Simmons dominated possession throughout the match, out-shooting Howard Payne 35-7 and maintaining an 11-0 advantage in corner kicks. Junior midfielder Tatum Barnett opened the scoring in the 24^th minute, finishing off an assist from Maeve Connerty to give the Cowgirls an early 1-0 lead.
 
In the second half, sophomore forward Taylor Koch added a pair of goals in the 68^th and 73^rd minutes to secure the victory. Connerty recorded her second assist of the match on Koch's first goal, while Presleigh Thiessen assisted the second.
 
Goalkeeper Abigail Medlin earned the clean sheet with five saves, marking the fifth Cowgirl shutout of the season.
 
"We played with great tempo and created consistent scoring chances tonight," said head coach Rusty Oglesby. "I'm proud of how our midfield and back line controlled the pace and limited their opportunities."
 
Hardin-Simmons' defensive unit, anchored by Kalea Willis, Cora Saucedo, and Nicole Young, limited Howard Payne to only five shots on goal. The relentless Cowgirl attack tested HPU keeper Landry Combs, who finished with 11 saves before being subbed late in the match.
 
The Cowgirls improved to 7-1-2 overall and 2-0 in conference, while the Yellow Jackets dropped to 5-5 and 0-2 in league play. The Cowgirls return to action Saturday, October 11, when they travel to face Mary Hardin-Baylor in ASC play in Belton, Texas kicking off at 5 p.m.
 
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