Bulldogs Fall to Mountaineers in Home Sun Belt Opener

Thursday, September 24

Ruston, La.

7 p.m.

Louisiana Tech University

2-6-2, 0-1-1

Appalachian State

7-1-2, 2-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
App State	2	0	2
Louisiana Tech	0	0	0

Travel LA Tech Game Notes App State Game Notes

Photo by: Olivia Sharpe

Bulldogs Fall to Mountaineers in Home Sun Belt Opener

9/24/2026 11:05:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Lorkowski's historic night not enough to overcome App State.

By: Landon Smith

RUSTON, LA – The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-6-2, 0-1-1 Sun Belt) fell to the Appalachian State Mountaineers 0-2 Thursday night in Ruston at Robert Mack Caruthers Field.

App State (7-1-2, 2-0-0 Sun Belt) put their foot on the gas, and never let it off. It took just 43 seconds for the Mountaineers to record a shot, and six minutes for a shot on goal. In the first half they finished with fourteen shots, including both of their goals.

Both goals were scored by Ellie Garrison. The first was assisted by the Mountaineers goalie, Hanna Skogsfors, after a deep ball off a free kick. The second came from a penalty kick after a handball in the box.

Despite the score, Mackenzie Lorkowski made history tonight, entering into the top ten players for career goals as a Bulldog. The save that entered her into the record books came in the 49th minute, a shot from the Mountaineer's Garrison, looking for a hat trick. Lorkowski fell and collected the ball in the bottom left before it crossed the goal line. She ended the game with five saves, bringing her total to 77.

With this save, Lorkowski's saves totaled 75, passing up Tara Gavlak's 74.. She did this in just her ninth career game. It took Gavlak 20 games to reach her number.

Notables

Mackenzie Lorkowski had five saves tonight, with the third one giving her a career total of 75 and making her the Bulldog with the tenth most saves all-time in program history.
The Bulldogs were outshot 25-11 and did not record a shot on goal. The Bulldogs had previously not been held to zero shots on goal all season.
Madison Pensom recorded six shots tonight, the most this season.
Nine Bulldogs played all 90 minutes this game.

Quotables

Head Coach Matt Lodge

"I felt we played very well. One costly mistake for the first goal, and then a penalty for the second. In the second half, I felt we took the game to them. We had eleven shots but we did not hit the target once, that is something we have to improve on. I thought our back four was fantastic the whole game. Mary Helen (Burford) headed some incredible balls and then the one she missed ended up in the back of the net. I am very proud of our performance, proud of the fight. We are going to continue to do what we are doing because good things are coming."

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