BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Suiting up for their final road matchup of the regular season, NM State took to the pitch at the WKU Soccer Complex for a Sunday afternoon bout with the Hilltoppers. While the home team held a halftime advantage,
Sydnee Johnson's first goal of the season made it a 1-1 contest early in half two. However, a late goal by WKU saw the Aggies fall by a final score of 2-1.
The Hilltoppers came out firing offensively, notching a pair of goal-scoring opportunities in the first four minutes of gameplay, though the Aggies would deny the chances.
Esme Arenas was challenged early and often by the physical WKU defense, though she earned the Aggies' first shot on goal at the seven-minute mark.
A jumble of action in the NM State goal box allowed WKU's Mya Jackson to find the back of the net and give the Hilltoppers a 1-0 lead in the 19
th minute.
Moments after the resumption of play, the Aggies earned their first of five first-half corner kicks moments later, but a stout WKU defense kept NM State at bay.
Karolanne Lafortune managed a chaotic final five minutes, falling on a ball that ricocheted off the crossbar and collecting her first save of Sunday.
Facing a 1-0 deficit at the break, the Aggies held an edge in corner kicks (5-4; most in a first half for NM State this season), while tied in saves (1-1) and trailing in shots (9-2).
Emilia Compian entered the contest in the second half at goalie for the Crimson & White, immediately facing pressure from the WKU offense, though both sailed off the net.
Scoring a would-be goal in the Aggies' road victory over MTSU on Thursday,
Sydnee Johnson gained redemption in the 50
th minute of Sunday's contest, stealing the ball away from a lax Hilltopper backline, beating keeper Mia Riddick with a corner pocket strike that rattled through the net to tie the match 1-1.
Compian tallied a pair of saves while the Aggies looked for the go-ahead goal, however, Alyvia Walls knocked in the Hilltoppers' second goal of the day with just over 10 minutes remaining, putting NM State behind 2-1.
An already physical match upped the intensity over the final 10 minutes, with both teams tallying a yellow card before the contest turned final (
Gabi Hislop, Mia Riddick).
Rachel Haan recorded the final shot of Sunday for either team, forcing WKU goalkeeper Riddick into her third save of the match.
As time expired, NM State fell by a final score of 2-1. Serving as the final road meeting of the regular season, the Aggies posted a 2-6 record on the road, and a 1-3 mark in road CUSA contests. Graduate forward
Sydnee Johnson drove home her first goal of the season, and eight career score. Making her second consecutive start,
Dolce Escorza tallied 84 minutes of action. Sophomore
Sophie Rush recorded a career-high in minutes played (22), her fifth game back on the pitch since missing the 2025 season due to injury.
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to Las Cruces for their final match of the 2026 regular season, playing host to Jax State on Saturday, Oct. 31. NM State is 4-0-1 all-time against the Gamecocks, last recording a 1-1 draw in Jacksonville. First kick is slated for 4 p.m. MT, with the match streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats available at nmstatesports.com/stats.
For complete coverage of NM State Soccer, visit
NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@NMStateWSOC), and like us on Facebook (NMStateWSOC).
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