DAYTON, Tenn. – The Bryan College women's soccer team opened the 2026 season Saturday afternoon, falling 3-1 to Dalton State College in a non-conference matchup in Dayton.
The Lady Lions battled throughout the contest and showed improvement offensively in the second half, but a pair of first-half goals allowed the Roadrunners to build an early advantage. Dalton State finished the match with a 27-11 edge in shots and a 14-6 advantage in shots on goal.
Dalton State struck first in the 20th minute when Brooke Fairchild found the back of the net to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead. Bryan looked for an answer, with Campbell Ruehling and Ruth Cook both generating opportunities during the opening half. The Roadrunners added to their advantage just before halftime when Alice Legnedahl scored off an assist from Audrey Hunt with 11 seconds remaining in the period, sending Bryan into the break trailing 2-0.
The Lady Lions came out more aggressive offensively in the second half.
Carmen Verdel put a pair of shots on frame during the opening 12 minutes of the period, while Cook and Cadence Guzman also forced saves from Dalton State goalkeeper Maggie Rickerd.
Dalton State extended its lead to 3-0 in the 66th minute when Amy Wearing converted a penalty kick.
Bryan continued to battle and broke through in the 77th minute. After earning a penalty kick of their own, Verdel stepped to the spot and converted to put the Lady Lions on the board and cut the deficit to 3-1. The goal was Verdel's first of the season and capped a strong offensive performance in which she finished with three shots, all three on goal.
Bryan continued pushing in the closing minutes, earning a corner kick in the 90th minute before
Katie Ryan sent the final shot of the match wide left.
Verdel led the Bryan attack with three shots on goal, while Ruehling and Cook each recorded three total shots. Guzman also put her lone attempt on frame. Bryan goalkeeper Emory Andrews played the full 90 minutes and recorded seven saves against the Roadrunners' attack.
Despite the loss, the Lady Lions showed encouraging signs after halftime, producing eight of their 11 shots in the second period after being limited to three attempts in the opening 45 minutes. Bryan also generated both of its corner kicks after the break.
The Lady Lions will look to build on the second-half performance as they continue the early portion of their 2026 schedule. They will hit the road to play Faulkner and Point University in West Point, GA this week.
