The Benedictine Mesa (AZ) women's soccer team dropped a conference match to OUAZ, 7-1, Saturday evening at Santos Soccer Complex. Despite a strong effort in the second half and 12 saves from goalkeeper Tatum Lally, the Redhawks were unable to overcome an early offensive surge from the visiting Spirit.
OUAZ struck quickly with three goals in the opening 11 minutes and added two more before halftime to take a 5-0 advantage into the break. Tatum Lally made several key saves throughout the first half to keep the Redhawks battling, finishing the night with 12 stops.
Benedictine showed more attacking intent after halftime, registering nine of its 10 shots in the second period. Rebecca Tomerlin led the Redhawks with three shots on goal, while Isabella Misquez, Kyleya Meltebarger, and Rylee Hatcher also tested the OUAZ goalkeepers.
The Spirit added two second-half goals, but the Redhawks continued to push forward. Their persistence paid off in the final minute when Isabella Misquez converted a penalty kick at the 89:24 mark, giving Benedictine its lone goal of the match and preventing the shutout.
Defensively, Benedictine weathered a relentless attack from OUAZ, which totaled 31 shots and 19 shots on goal. Lally's 12-save performance highlighted the Redhawks' effort, while the team generated several late scoring opportunities, including consecutive shots that resulted in defensive saves by OUAZ during a flurry in front of goal.
