ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – An unlucky four-minute stretch proved to be the difference as Roosevelt dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 17 Grand Valley State on Friday in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at Morris Field.

The host Lakers were once again the underdogs on the scoresheet with Grand Valley State leading 24-8 in shot attempts and 8-3 in shots on goals. The visitors also won 16 corner kicks to the host's zero.

Yet it was plucky Roosevelt (0-11-4, 0-10-2 GLIAC) that struck first and led at intermission. The sequence began with a free kick about 40 yards away from goal that Daisy Hernandez-Loya whipped into the box where a mass of players awaited the ball. After the two teams kicked it back and forth for a few seconds, the ball came to Zoraya Marquez, who attempted to direct the bouncing ball towards the goal.

Marquez's shot ricocheted off a few players and fell harmlessly to the ground, but the referee whistled for a potential hand ball on Grand Valley State. After a brief conversation with his assistant, the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty kick for Roosevelt. Hernandez-Loya confidently took the penalty kick, slamming the shot off the crossbar and into the goal with five minutes left in the first half.

The score remained in the hosts Lakers' favor in large part due to Roxy Herrera, who stopped all five shots on goal she faced in the first half. Chasing a goal, Grand Valley State upped the pressure in the second half, earning 12 corner kicks and outshooting Roosevelt 11-3. However, just three of those shots ended up on target for the visitors.

Grand Valley State tied the game in the 69^th minute when a Roosevelt clearance was blocked about 22 yards away from goal and the shot slipped past a group of players past a diving Herrera. With just shy of 18 minutes left in the match, the visitors earned a penalty kick of their own off a handball, and Grand Valley State barely got the ball under Herrera to take the lead.

UP NEXT: Roosevelt travels to Big Rapids, Mich. on Sunday for an 11 a.m. contest at Ferris State in a rematch of the wild 5-2 match at Morris Field to start GLIAC play.