PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The New Mexico State Aggies closed non-conference action Sunday afternoon with a 4-1 road loss to Prairie View A&M at Lady Panther Field.
 
The Aggies fell to 1-8-0 with the loss, while the Panthers raised their overall mark to 3-3-1.
 
"I was a very physical game today and we were out muscled and out physicaled," said NM State Head Coach Freddy Delgado. "Prairie View was the aggressor. We let them control tempo and didn't play to our strength."
 
The Panthers opened the scoring in the 18th minute when PVAMU's Ashley Virgil headed the ball in off a pass from Khalisha Bond for a 1-0 lead.
 
NM State provided an equalizer in the 33rd minute when Sabrina Ruiz scored from 15-yards out off a pass from from Audrey Chavez to even the score at 1-all. Ruiz collected her second goal of the season.
 
But 10 minutes later, just before the half, the Panthers grabbed the lead for good when Panther Breanna Powell was credited for a goal on a free kick from 19 yards away that deflected off an NM State defender into the goal for a 2-1 advantage.
 
In the second half, Prairie View scored in the 62nd minute on a shot from Taylor Brown, then capped the scoring in the 85th minute on Alicia Cooper's fourth goal of the season.
 
"We need to work a bit on restarts," said Delgado. "We allowed three of their four goals score off of crosses and set pieces."
 
The Aggies are now in a position to put the non-conference schedule behind them as they open Western Athletic Conference play in a week on Sunday, Sept. 27, against UTRGV.
 
"I think we've played a difficult non-conference schedule with a lot of freshmen," said Delgado. "Three or four of the teams we faced will challenge for their conference championship and an NCAA berth."
 
"But I think the tough challenges we've faced will pay dividends for us by the end of the season."
 
Next Sunday's match with UTRGV kicks off at 1 p.m. at the NM State Soccer Athletic Complex.