OKLAHOMA CITY – In total, nine Oklahoma City University women's soccer players who are seniors were honored during OCU's match against Nelson University. The Stars commenced senior day festivities at Brian Harvey Field on Saturday. Jadyn Basler, Saizlee Carlton, Aynslee Duffy, Piper Nichols, Abby Russell, Ashley Russell, Inka Silz, Tatum Tallal, and Chloi Thurman were all honored during Saturday's senior day ceremony. In shutout fashion, OCU secured another conference win against the Lions, giving the Stars a 4-1-1 record in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
 

OCU 4, NELSON 0


27'- Kayleigh Haygood (11)
'34- Saizlee Carlton (5); Assisted by Amelia Horsford (4)
87'- Amelia Horsford (11); Assisted by Saizlee Carlton (6)
'89- Amelia Horsford (12); Assisted by Yami Ponce (1)


How It Happened
A barrage of shots guided the Stars' offensive success against Nelson during Saturday's match. OCU tallied 20 total shots; Oklahoma City has now recorded 20 or more shots in nine games this season. Stifling defense allowed OCU to play complementary soccer, with the defense feeding off the offense and vice versa. Of the 20 shots, 13 landed on goal. Nelson goalkeeper, Delaney Murphy was kept busy between the posts.

Just shy of the 30-minute mark of the first half, OCU netted a goal when Kayleigh Haygood found a ball that was redirected from a Nichols header. Initially, Murphy thwarted the Nichols header, but Haygood pounced on a scoring chance in front of the net. Later in the first half, the Stars stretched their lead to 2-0 when Carlton found the back of the net on a beautifully assisted ball from Amelia Horsford. The second-half goal was the fifth score of 2025 for the senior from Texas.

Post intermission and late in the second half, Carlton returned the assisting favor to Horsford, who scored her 11th goal of the season after a Stars' counterattack reached the box on Nelson's half of the pitch. Then, less than two minutes later, Horsford connected on a scoring strike for her 12th goal of 2025. Yami Ponce found Horsford for an efficient strike, resulting in OCU scoring its fourth and final goal of the match. 




Sweet Senior Day Shutout
OCU recorded another clean sheet with its 4-0 win against Nelson on Saturday. The Stars have shut their opponents out nine times this season and have only surrendered three goals to SAC foes. Oklahoma City recorded four total shutouts in all of 2024. 



On the Radar
The Stars will hit the road for two games before returning home for the season-concluding matchup against John Brown University on Oct. 28. OCU will travel to Plainview, Texas, to play the Pioneers at 1 p.m. on Oct. 21.