NORMAN, Okla.—The Northwestern State soccer team could not overcome a fast start by Oklahoma in a 9-0 loss in the regular season opener Wednesday evening at John Crain Field.
Oklahoma (1-0) scored three times in the first 12 minutes to take control, as the Demons (0-1) could not replicate last year’s season-opening magic, a 3-2 upset at 19th-ranked Texas, in this season’s opener.
“There was some good and some bad,” NSU coach Ian Brophy said. “I don’t think we played well, especially in the first half. In this one, there’s lots to learn from and there are still plenty of positives to take from it.”
Sooners leading point scorer from 2025 Kayla Keefer scored a hat trick in the first 12 minutes, starting the home team off strong, as her four total goals and the nine overall OU goals are both program records.
NSU’s best chance in the first half came off the foot of senior Emily Gundin at the four-minute mark, stopped by OU goalkeeper Callie Sullivan.
In the opening 45 minutes, OU out-shot NSU 13-1 and stretched it to 25-2 for the game.
Saki Tsuchiya had nice saves to try to keep Northwestern within striking distance, making a kick save in the 22nd minute on a shot that was ticketed for the back of the net, one of her game-high seven saves.
“Only maybe one goal was due to a Saki error,” Brophy said. “She was clean and her distribution as good, as well as her ability to connect from the back. She came up with some big saves in big moments, despite the score.”
Paige Baumgartner recorded the final shot attempt for the Demons.
NSU travels to LSU on Sunday for the second game before traveling to Houston (Aug. 20), UL Lafayette (Aug. 23) and Alcorn State (Sept. 3) to wrap up the five-game road trip to begin the season.