Tahlequah, Okla.– 19^th ranked Northeastern State scored in the first minute, then held off the Drury Panthers for a 1-0 win in the 2021 season opener at DeLoache Field in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on Thursday night.
 
The Panthers fell to 1-0 while the RiverHawks start the season with a 1-0 mark.
 
Northeastern State notched a goal 16 seconds into the game as Nick Garcia scored on an assist from Jack Barrier and Sam Scarth.
 
Drury's uphill battle was compounded by a red card in the game's 34^th minute, putting the Panthers down a man. Drury stayed in the contest, though, as goalkeeper Yannick Lamers stopped six consecutive stops and kept the RiverHawks off the board for the rest of the game.
 
Panthers midfielder Jayd Hamdaoua led Drury with two shots.
 
Drury's season-opening road trip continues on Sunday when they take on 11^th ranked West Texas A&M at noon in Canyon, Texas.
 
 
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