Kyndel Borman had to wait like everyone else to find out if her shot in the closing minutes Saturday would roll into the right side of the net.

“I had to wait a second,” said the Mustang forward. “I didn’t get my whole foot on it.”

When the ball did find the net, Borman threw her arms into the air and ran toward a gathering of teammates near the sideline. The Mustangs beat Southern Oregon University, 2-1, at TMU, winning their season opener behind the best performance of Borman’s young career.

Before recording the game-winner in the 83rd minute, the sophomore forward scored on a penalty kick in the first half to give Master’s a lead it held for most of the afternoon. It was the first multi-goal game of Borman’s career, and it went a long way in stopping a Southern Oregon team that came in with a grip of momentum.

The Raiders (1-1) beat No. 25 Westmont College in Santa Barbara on Thursday, earning the program’s first win over an NAIA Top 25 team in nine years. It looked like the Raiders might have similar success Saturday when they evened the score on Madison Childers’ goal in the 65th minute. But the Mustang defense stiffened, and Borman struck.

The winning sequence started with Master’s freshman Elizabeth Radmilovich heading the ball toward the feet of midfielder Hannah Bahr, who immediately flicked it ahead to Borman.

“I had a defender on me and I saw Kyndel in the corner of my eye,” Bahr said. “I was able to flick it through.”

Borman battled a Raider defender, won possession and directed the ball past the keeper and into the net. Bahr and Radmilovich each earned an assist on the play.

Saturday was reminiscent of the last time the Raiders (1-1) visited Reese Field. In 2018, Hailey Gomillion scored in the 84th minute to beat Southern Oregon, 1-0.

In this one, the Mustangs didn’t wait nearly as long to score. In the 17th minute, Kayla Sims drove into the 18-yard box where she was taken down, setting the stage for Borman’s penalty kick.

As a freshman, Borman scored three goals all season. She says she struggled with typical first-year nerves – but not so much anymore.

“I got more confident as the year went on. But starting out, it was a level-of-play change, going from high school to college soccer,” Borman said. “I’d say I’m definitely more confident on the ball. I’m not trying to get rid of the ball as fast. If I’m in front of the goal, I’ll take that shot instead of giving it up.”

Southern Oregon tied the score 1-1 in the 65th minute when Aislinn Waite sent a pass out in front of Childers, who ran onto it and lofted a shot into the top right corner of the net. The Mustangs found themselves in a tie, but they didn’t panic.

“I was excited to see how they responded to that,” said TMU head coach Curtis Lewis. “I think last year’s team breaks a little at that point, but for them to come back and score was great.”

The Mustangs will travel to Prescott, Arizona, next week to take on Benedictine University at Mesa (AZ) on Tuesday in the Embry-Riddle Tournament. Master’s will then face No. 10 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (AZ) on Thursday.

— Game Recap By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director