NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The LMU women's soccer team fell to CSUN 2-1 on Sunday evening in Northridge, Calif.
The Matadors scored just before the 15-minute mark on a goal that ricocheted off the post and beat keeper
JJ Hoover. CSUN doubled their advantage in the 35
th minute after a long ball over the top beat the LMU backline.
Helen Schaefer was so close to drawing one back just before the half. She made a surging run forward and blasted a right-footed effort that had significant dip on it. She forced the keeper into an uncomfortable sliding save.
The Lions' attack was pushing for a goal in the second half. Jennessa Groves and Natalie Oca had a couple of early shots that went off target.
The breakthrough finally came in the 84th minute. Genevieve Watkins played a nifty ball through to Groves. Groves fired a shot right at the keeper that rebounded right back to her for an easy tap in to cut the deficit in half.
The Lions threatened with just six minutes to go and it was nearly
Megan Rucker once again providing the heroics. She flashed up the left side and slid the ball to her weaker right foot before firing a darting shot that went just wide of the right post for the Lions' final chance of the evening.
The Lions made a goalkeeper switch with about 13 minutes to go, giving a Lions debut to Kaydence Cortez-Garcia in relief of Hoover.
The Lions will be in action again on Thursday, August 29 as they host Pittsburgh at 1:00 p.m. (PT). Tickets for Thursday's match are available on LMULions.com and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.
