In a battle for first place in the Central Ozark Conference, Nixa secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a tenacious Republic team on Tuesday. Two goals in a minute and a half made the difference for the Lady Eagles.
The match remained scoreless through the first half, with neither team able to break through the opposing defense. The deadlock was finally broken in the second half when Nixa’s Lilly Kirk found the back of the net twice, scoring at the 26:47 and 25:16 marks. Kirk’s goals put Nixa in control of the match, but Republic refused to go down without a fight.
With just 8:44 left in the game, Republic’s Cadence Lugar scored from long range, placing the ball inside the left post to cut Nixa’s lead to 2-1. Despite Republic’s best efforts to find an equalizer, Nixa’s defense held strong, securing the victory.
The defeat snapped Republic’s six-game winning streak in the Central Ozark Conference and handed them their first conference loss of the season. It was the second straight loss for the Lady Tigers after they won a school-record 10 straight. They currently stand at 14-6 overall.
Republic will look to rebound Wednesday night at home. The Lady Tigers will celebrate Senior Night against Neosho with junior varsity at 5:00 and Senior Night festivities to follow before the varsity match.
