SEARCY — The Harding women's soccer team dropped its season opener Sunday, falling 2-1 to Northeastern State after the Riverhawks rallied with two second-half goals at the Stevens Soccer Complex.

The Lady Bisons took an early lead, with Whitney Thomas scoring the first goal of her season just over five minutes into the game. Thomas found the back of the net at the 5:31 mark, firing a shot past the Northeastern State keeper after receiving a long pass on a free kick from Skylar Henley. Harding carried the 1-0 lead into halftime.

Northeastern State evened the score early in the second half when Olivia Burnes beat the keeper on a breakaway in the 54th minute. The Riverhawks secured the win in the 75th minute when Sydney Taylor scored after receiving a long feed from Brynn Baldon.

Despite the loss, Harding held an advantage in shots, leading 15-12 with eight shots on goal compared to the Riverhawks' five. Northeastern State's goalkeeper Rebecca Partyka finished with seven saves, while Harding's keeper Maysa Willis had three.

The loss drops the Lady Bisons' record to 0-1-0 on the season, while Northeastern State improves to 2-0-0.

Harding will look to rebound on Wednesday, Sept. 10, when it hosts Christian Brothers at 5 p.m. at the Stevens Soccer Complex.