Houston midfielder Ava Shannon (6) takes a shot from a corner kick, during the second half of an NCAA women’s soccer match, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Houston, Texas. | Wyatt Chastain/The Cougar.
The Houston Cougars faced off against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Sept. 27. The Cougars saw themselves gain their first win against the OSU, turning their record against the Cowgirls to 1-2.
Both teams showcased an all-out defensive battle in today’s match-up, but Houston had most of the possession in the first half. Fifth-year defender Laney Gonzales took the first shot of the game, but the OSU Cowgirls blocked it.
Houston got their first corner kick shortly after, but OSU put an aggressive defense on the Cougars to stop them from getting an early goal.
At the 14-minute mark, Houston missed a potential goal, but the header was off target.
Houston and OSU played an even battle through 30 minutes of the first half, with both teams wanting a chance to get on the board.
OSU Cowgirls get their first shot of the game at the 38-minute mark, but the shot goes off target. Shortly after OSU’s first shot, fifth-year midfielder Morgan Donohue passes to junior midfielder/forward Skylar Millar to get Houston on the board, kicking the ball toward the bottom center of the goal to end off the first half.
After halftime, OSU displays an aggressive attack, eager to get on the board after Houston’s goal. The Cowgirls got a corner kick similar to Houston’s first corner kick in the first half, but missed a potential goal with a header.
Sophomore forward Samira Minor tries to get Houston another goal at the 76-minute mark, but the shot was met by fifth-year goalkeeper Avery Bass. Minor goes for another shot at the bottom center of the net, but Avery Bass was there again to save another potential goal.
Both teams showed balanced effort on defense and offense, but OSU took their defense to another level in the second half and couldn’t finish on offense.
With an all-out defensive match-up, Houston took the win, 1-0 and extended their record to 5-1-3.
The Houston Cougars will remain at home to face the 6-1-2 West Virginia Mountaineers on Friday, Oct. 2 to seek another victory.
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