DALLAS, TX — Northwestern State couldn’t replicate the momentum from its season-opening win over Texas, falling 2–0 to Southern Methodist University on Sunday evening at Washburne Stadium. Despite a resilient showing, the Demons were undone by an early defensive lapse and a second-half penalty, splitting their two-game road trip against power-conference programs.
SMU wasted no time asserting itself, capitalizing on a defensive interception just five minutes into the match. Transfer Sarah Bonnecaze pounced on a misplayed outlet pass from the NSU back line and slotted home the Mustangs’ first goal — a sequence that head coach Ian Brophy took personal responsibility for.
“That first goal is on me,” said Brophy. “We build out of the back — that’s our identity — and sometimes those goals happen. I’ll always take the blame for that because that’s the style I want us to play.”
The goal marked the only shot in the opening 12 minutes, but the Mustangs quickly ramped up the pressure, firing three more shots in quick succession and forcing NSU goalkeeper Kennedy Rist into early action.
After a career-high 13-save performance against Texas, Rist continued to showcase her shot-stopping prowess, turning away six of SMU’s 27 attempts on goal. Her efforts helped keep NSU within striking distance for much of the game.
“Kennedy was brilliant again and kept us in it,” Brophy said. “She made some incredible saves that gave us a fighting chance.”
Despite being outshot 17–2 in the first half and 27–6 overall, NSU had legitimate opportunities to equalize. Freshman Kendall Hemperley came agonizingly close in the 16th minute, rattling the crossbar with her attempt. In the second half, Hosane Soukou’s low-driven shot struck the left post in the 62nd minute, followed by Madison Murphy’s wide miss on the rebound.
“It felt like a 1-0 game,” Brophy added. “We were right there with them. A couple inches difference and we’re talking about a draw or maybe more.”
SMU opened the second half on the front foot, forcing Rist into two early saves and earning multiple corner kicks within the first four minutes. Still, the Demon defense held firm — until the 76th minute.
A foul in the box following a corner kick gave the Mustangs a golden chance to double their lead, which they did through Lindsay Nicholson’s calmly converted penalty kick. It was Nicholson’s fifth shot of the night, tying her with teammate Liz Eddy for the most attempts.
NSU’s final serious push came moments later when Ravina Sandhu fired a shot just 25 seconds after the goal, but the Mustangs defense locked in and held the Demons without another attempt in the final 13 minutes.
Despite the loss, Brophy saw bright spots throughout the match. He praised the defensive contributions of Emily Senatore and emphasized the team’s ability to create chances against elite competition.
“Emily’s defensive intensity helped trigger some of our attacks. There were several really strong performances tonight, and I’m proud of how we competed against two power conference teams.”
Notably, all six of NSU’s shot attempts came from different players — a testament to the team’s depth and willingness to push forward from all areas.
Now 1–1 on the young season, Northwestern State wraps up its Texas road trip with a Thursday match against Tarleton State before returning home to face Alcorn in their home opener.
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