The long-awaited season opener for the Tompkins Cortland Community College women's soccer came Sunday as the Panthers hosted Herkimer County Community College. The first collegiate game for every member of the home team started well before the team ran out gas, eventually losing by a final score of 12-1. Herkimer improves to 2-1 with the win.

Despite a significant deficit in experience, the Panthers kept things close in the first half. The game was scoreless until the 18^th minute. Herkimer made it 2-0 in the 26^th minute, but the Panthers kept the visitors off the board the rest of the half.

Herkimer took control early in the second half, scoring twice in the opening minutes. After Herkimer made it 6-0 in the 60^th minutes of play, Leah Williams (Owego/Newark Valley H.S.) cashed in on a scoring chance to get the Panthers on the board. The Generals answered with a goal seconds later, and the scored twice more to make it 9-1 with 10 minutes left. The final three goals came in the closing minutes, making the final 12-1.

Looking ahead

The Panthers host #3-ranked Mohawk Valley Community College Thursday at 6:30 p.m.