BETHANY, Okla. — In an effort to win their first Great American Conference game of the season, Southern Nazarene was edged 3-2 by Harding at Wes Harmon Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Bisons (1-5, 1-1 GAC) picked up their first win of the season as they fired a total of 39 shots in the match. They landed 17 of those on goal while the Crimson Storm (1-7, 0-2 GAC) finished with 12 shots as they placed five of those on target.
 
Ashlynn Pritchett got the start in goal for SNU and finished with four saves in the first half while Micaela Owen came on to relieve Pritchett in the second half and tallied a season-high 10 saves. 
 
Freshman Karsyn Matthews got the Storm on the board first in the 27^thminute, as she notched her second goal of the season on a beautiful pass from DeLaney Stewart to give SNU a 1-0 lead. The Bisons however came right back in the next minute and tied the game with a goal from Emma Welch. Harding netted another goal seven minutes later to take a 2-1 lead into the break.
 
After a defensive battle for much of the second half, Harding scored another goal in the 82^ndminute to extend their lead to 3-1, before senior Ashley Owens netted her second goal of the season to give the Storm life. SNU was able to get a couple of looks to try and tie the game in the final five minutes but couldn't get the equalizer to go.
 
Matthews finished with three shots on goal for Southern Nazarene while Owens and Kiara Rodriguez each had a shot on goal as well.