Box Score ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Roosevelt University women's soccer team dropped its final non-conference contest of the season, falling to Thomas More University (Ky.) by the score of 2-1 on Saturday, September 10 at Morris Field. The Lakers are now 0-2-1 on the year as they begin their CCAC Conference season next week.
The game was a physical affair and the Saints held a slight advantage in first half play, outshooting the Lakers 4-0 during the initial 45 minutes.
Thomas More took advantage of a defensive miscue just under four minutes into the second half and slotted the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Twenty minutes later, the Saints converted off a corner kick, scoring on a header to double their lead to 2-0 in the 69th minute.
The Lakers answered back four minutes later when Meaghan Smith headed in a Nyah Bejarano cross for her second goal of the year to cut the margin down to 2-1 with 18 minutes to play. Roosevelt continued to push for the equalizer and Griselda Gurrola appeared to level the game, but her shot was tipped by the Saints' goalkeeper and hit the crossbar to keep the visitors ahead. The Lakers had a flurry of chances in the final minutes, but could not capitalize, falling 2-1 to the Saints.
KEY STATS
- Meaghan Smith scored her second goal of the season
- Nyah Bejarano earned her first assist as a Laker
- Roxana Herrera made two saves & allowed two goals in 90 minutes of play in goal
- Thomas More held a slight 9-7 shot advantage in the contest
- Both teams had three corner kicks in the game
NEWS & NOTES
- This was the first-ever meeting between the Lakers & Saints in women's soccer
- Thomas More is playing in its final NAIA season as it becomes a member of NCAA Division II beginning in the 2023-24 season
NEXT UP
The Lakers begin CCAC Conference play on Wednesday, September 14 when they host Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.) at Morris Field. Kick-off is scheduled for 6pm and fans can watch the game live here.
