TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Despite a strong effort, the Harding Bisons fell 4-2 to Northeastern State on Thursday night at DeLoache Field, dropping their conference opener.

Nojus Grudis and Jaffet Rodriguez each scored their first goals of the season for Harding (0-4-2, 0-1 GAC/MIAA), which showed flashes of resilience in the loss.

Grudis opened the scoring in the sixth minute, converting a team-leading second assist from Ethan Boles. Rodriguez added a late goal in the 86th minute, courtesy of Matthew Sanchez's first assist of the season.

Mario Sapena and Kei Nagakura each scored twice for Northeastern State (1-3-3, 1-0 GAC/MIAA), which outshot the Bisons 22-6.

Harding goalkeeper Inigo Chavarria made six saves, including stops on Donovan Aparicio and Miguel Carrasquinho in the first half. Gonzalo Castells stopped two shots for the RiverHawks before giving way to Cameron McColloch in the 76th minute.

The match was closely contested early, with Harding taking the lead on Grudis' goal. However, Northeastern State equalized in the 24th minute on Sapena's first goal, assisted by Kei Nagakura. Sapena added his second just before halftime, putting the RiverHawks up 2-1.

Nagakura extended the lead with two insurance goals in the second half, scoring in the 49th and 50th minutes.

Harding's best chances came late, with Jake Whittington forcing McColloch into a save in the 81st minute. Rodriguez finally broke through in the 86th minute, scoring off Sanchez's assist.

Despite still seeking its first win, Harding has demonstrated potent offense, scoring at least one goal in each of its first six games for only the third time in program history. The Bisons also achieved this feat in 2018 and 2023.

The Bisons will continue their four-game road trip on Saturday, September 28, traveling to Claremore, Oklahoma, to face Rogers State in a GAC/MIAA matchup.