Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 31, 2017) – A season on the sideline due to injury made Courtney Nixon hungry to return to the soccer field and the senior midfielder from Oklahoma City made the most of her opportunity on Thursday night in the season opener against East Central.

Nixon corralled a pass from freshman Brianna Concienne and scored from about 12 yards out in the 48th minute, and the Lady Eagles made that goal stand up in a 1-0 win over ECU at the Eagle Soccer Field.

The win was the first at the collegiate level for new OC coach Meagan Anderson, a former OC player and assistant coach. She downplayed the personal milestone while celebrating Nixon's comeback and the success of her new team.

"It sounds good, not so much for myself though, but for the girls," Anderson said. "They've put in a lot of work over the last three weeks and to see the outcome and how we worked tonight as a unit, that was important. For the girls to see themselves doing that was even better."

OC opened its 2016 season with a 1-0 win at East Central, but despite her hard rehab work that summer, Nixon wasn't able to play for the Lady Eagles that day while she recovered from a knee injury that eventually cost her the season. She came back in 2017 determined to have a successful senior campaign, and started off well, scoring her fifth career goal but her first since Oct. 17, 2015, against St. Mary's (Texas).

"She has done an outstanding job," Anderson said of Nixon. "I wasn't with her through that recovery, but I caught up with her after I got the job and talked to her. I could tell that she was determined to prove herself and she's done that. She looks great. She's fit. She's energetic. She's definitely ready for the season and that is a huge testament to her and her determination and dedication to this team, wanting to see it succeed. She's going to be a good, positive player for us moving forward."

East Central outshot OC 19-9, but the Tigers didn't have many quality scoring opportunities among their shots. OC sophomore goalkeeper Addison Milner, making her first collegiate start, made a kick save in the 39th minute on what was probably East Central's best chance, a close-in shot by Summer Whalen.

Early in the second half, Concienne – a freshman forward who pestered the Tigers throughout – gained possession and pushed the ball to Nixon. With the Tigers' defense in disarray, Nixon took advantage to fire the ball past ECU goalkeeper Chloe Hull and into the net.

In the 58th minute, OC caught a break when an East Central defender was called for a handball in the penalty box. Nixon took the penalty kick, which Hull dove to her right and smothered. That proved to be Hull's only save of the night.

Milner finished with four saves as the Lady Eagles recorded their first shutout since tying Newman (Kan.) 0-0 last Oct. 1. OC ended last season on a six-game losing streak, which was snapped on Thursday.

Up next for the Lady Eagles is a trip across the Oklahoma City metro area to Bethany for a game Saturday at 7 p.m. at longtime rival Southern Nazarene.

Meagan Anderson discusses the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21XgS3KfM7Q&feature=youtu.be