EDMOND, Okla. - The battles haven't been easy in the early going of 2012 for Midwestern State. And the results have proven it.
 
No. 15 Central Oklahoma tallied a pair of goals in the opening 20 minutes and held on for a 3-1 win Friday night in the Fischer Classic at Tom Thompson Field.
 
"We started off fairly slow today," MSU coach Jeff Trimble said. "I felt like UCO was dictating a lot of the play and we were chasing the ball. They did a great job of knocking the ball around the midfield."
 
The Bronchos (3-0) took advantage of miscommunication that allowed senior forward Brittni Walker to slip behind the defense to give the Bronchos a 1-0 lead in the game's 14th minute.
 
"It was a communication error between the back and goalkeeper," Trimble said. "We don't make those kinds of mistakes normally."
 
Freshman Caitlin Bond's first collegiate goal staked Central Oklahoma to a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute forcing MSU to go with three backs to push more players forward.
 
"We adjusted a little bit with three in the back and it seemed to work," Trimble said. "We were able to create some opportunities."
 
Senior midfielder Megan Barnhart collected a misclear and drilled her first goal of the season to the back of the net to pull the Mustangs back into the contest at 2-1 in the 39th minute.
 
Midwestern had a golden opportunity to tally the equalizer in the 66th minute but Stevie Harris' bid was cleared off of the line.
 
"That was a really big moment for us," Trimble said. "We hit that and the game was tied. They didn't have that many good opportunities (in the second half) and I felt like we created a lot of good looks. We played 30 minutes of really good soccer. It was encouraging."
 
Central Oklahoma put the game away after Cierra Allen emerged from a scrum in the box as the Bronchos reassumed a two-goal advantage in the 78th minute.
 
Trimble lauded the play of senior right back Berklee Dressler as numerous players impressed at different part of the game.
 
"We're having a tough time playing good, consistent soccer," he said. "We're coming off a stretch of playing three playoff teams from last year. I hope we have grown."
 
Those teams -- No. 5 Fort Lewis (Colo.), Colorado Mesa and No. 15 Central Oklahoma -- have outscored the Mustangs by a 9-2 count, but Trimble believes the best is coming for the young Mustangs.
 
"We took a step forward doing numerous things today," Trimble said. "We're going to work hard and stick together. This is a talented team that I'm proud to coach."
 
Midwestern State wraps up play at the Fischer Classic Sunday against Southwestern Oklahoma State. Kickoff is set for noon.