SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Despite a devastating 1-2 loss to Kansas Wesleyan at home last Wednesday, the Lady Bluejays made the trek to Springfield, Mo. on Saturday to face the Valor of Evangel University. The Valor entered the contest with a conference record of 1-3, while the Bluejays' held a conference record of 1-2-1. 

Tabor quickly established offensive control at the start of the match, with Raegan King taking a shot less than three minutes in, unable to capitalize on the opportunity. The Valor retaliated a few minutes later, scoring their first goal of the match at the 6-minute mark. Some other Bluejays made an effort to even the score, with attempts from Porsha Zweifel and April Ochoa, but neither were able to find the back of the net. 18 minutes into the half, the Valor scored their second goal of the match, extending their lead by two. The rest of the half unfolded quietly with minimal action on either side, with both teams focused on waiting for exactly the right moment to create scoring opportunities for themselves. 

The Valor entered the second half determined to solidify their lead against Tabor, and within just two minutes, they netted their third and final goal of the match. Tabor, on the other hand, struggled to find any momentum on offense as they faced a resilient Valor defense that limited the Bluejays' attempts to build up any attacking plays. Haven Deckinger and Beatriz Rodrigues kept up the efforts to bridge the gap against Evangel, along with Zweifel taking another attempt as well. Unfortunately, the Bluejays were unable to capitalize and were still left scoreless. Neve Mulrooney recorded six saves in the second half alone, minimizing the damage that the Valor were looking to create. 

In the final 10 minutes of the match, both teams battled fiercely across the turf, exchanging possession and firing a combined seven shots in a last push with time running out. The Bluejays' offensive efforts in these last few minutes featured key attempts from Torrance Gonzales, Kayley Hanna, and Cyerra Boyer. Despite their determined efforts, the Bluejays came up short, but their resilience and teamwork throughout the match demonstrated their potential for future success.
This Wednesday, the Lady Bluejays will be on the road again as they travel to Sterling College where they will face the Warriors at 1 p.m. Sterling will enter the competition with a conference record of 1-5 and an overall record of 3-7.

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Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).