WINFIELD, Kan. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State women's soccer team (1-0-0) got on the board early, scored the game winner just before halftime and added a last-minute goal for good measure in a convincing 3-1, season-opening win over Southwestern College (0-1-0) on the road Tuesday evening.
 
The OPSU goal-scorers were Celeste Maldonado, Emma Daskalov and Toriana Holt, with Sadie Law and Yaddelis Alderete each notching assists.
 
Between the posts, AlaraLynn Gunderson (1-0) picked up the fifth win of her career, posting four saves.
 
The Aggies wasted little time on Tuesday, as they struck first in the sixth minute of the match. A corner kick from Emily Chavez was played into the box and momentarily cleared before it found open space at Maldonado's right foot from 15 yards out for the goal. The score marked the defender's second in her Aggie career.
 
The Moundbuilders answered late in the opening half, taking advantage of a foul deep in Panhandle State territory to score on a shallow free kick.
 
OPSU returned the favor a minute later, after a foul on Southwestern allowed a deep kick to be chased down in the right corner by Alderete. The junior spun away from a trap and found Daskalov cutting from the left side to the middle for a shot, which cleanly found the back of the net for her seventh career goal.
 
The 2-1 Aggie lead stood strong through the intermission and all the way until the 90th minute, when Law dumped the ball ahead to Holt, who won a three-person competition against the Moundbuilders' goalie and defender for control, yielding an easy look at the goal. The Connors State transfer's strike gave her a goal in her Aggie debut.
 
In all, OPSU outshot Southwestern 14-6, including recording an 11-5 advantage in shots on goal.
 
What's up next: Panhandle State continues nonconference action with its home opener versus the University of the Southwest on Friday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m.