OKLAHOMA CITY – The 15th-ranked Oklahoma City University women honored their upperclassmen leaders with a 3-2 Senior Night victory over Southern Nazarene on Saturday at Stars Field.

With the win, the Stars (15-2, 10-0) clinched the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship and a berth in the NAIA Opening Round Tournament. OCU won its 13th in a row.

“I felt that the ladies started very well, and they thoroughly deserved their win, and with that win it makes them undisputed regular-season SAC champions,” OCU coach Brian Harvey said. “I thought it was a very good performance. From back to front, our team played very well.”

The OCU scoring began in the fourth minute of the match when Stephanie Pena, a senior from Tulsa, Okla., netted her second career goal for the Stars. Pena took the ball just inside the right post, with the assist going to Blerta Rashica, a freshman from Orebro, Sweden.

Southern Nazarene rallied to tie the match four minutes later, but OCU answered back in the 14th minute to reclaim the lead. Meghan McMahon, a freshman from Oklahoma City, scored on a breakaway to beat the keeper, and give the Stars the 2-1 lead heading into halftime.

In the 84th minute, Malin Andersson, a senior from Huskvarna, Sweden, punched in OCU's eventual game-winning goal. Lauren Kolker, a junior from Choctaw, Okla., set up the score with a cross to Andersson to get credit for the assist on the play.

The Crimson Storm scored 10 seconds later, but their late comeback effort was not enough to beat the Stars. OCU maintained a 9-3 shot on goal advantage in the match.

“I felt that the seniors were outstanding and I was so proud for them that they went out winners on Senior Night,” Harvey said. “Hopefully we'll try to close out the conference championship with a win, and have an undefeated regular season in conference play.”

The women close the regular season on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in a match against Oklahoma Baptist at Stars Field.

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