ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Roosevelt could not find the late equalizer Thursday night in a back-and-forth 3-2 setback against Lewis to open the 2025 season at Morris Field.

It was the Lakers (0-1-0) who found themselves threatening more often in the first 30 minutes of the game while controlling possession. The newcomers in the midfield and at forward flashed their brilliance and chemistry in pinging the ball around the field to create dangerous opportunities.

The duo of transfers Daisy Garcia and Carisma Rosales got Roosevelt started on a high note just 13 minutes into the match. Garcia calmly possessed the ball and moved around one defender before seeing Rosales making a break for it in front of her. The pass cut through the Lewis defense and put Rosales all alone with the Flyers goalkeeper. The sophomore from Marquette waited out to goalie and dribbled around her before depositing the easy goal to give the Lakers a lead.

Rosales nearly had a second about 15 minutes later, but her shot rose just over the crossbar. That was when the game began to shift in Lewis' favor as it bombarded freshman Angelina Vazquez with shots. Vazquez looked solid in her first collegiate start and made four first-half saves, but the Flyers were able to score twice on scrums in front of the net to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.

An early foul in the second half led to a third Lewis goal and Roosevelt was chasing the game for the final 37 minutes. Vazquez finished the game with seven stops as Lewis ended the game with a 14-9 advantage in shot attempts and a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. Yet the Lakers never felt out of the game even as the time grew shorter.

The chances quickly built up for Roosevelt in the final 20 minutes, starting with Mayte Gongora hitting the post from 20 yards out on a shot the Lewis goalkeeper barely saw. Then Rosales was again at the center of the action, this time picking out Daisy Hernandez-Loya's head on a cross for a goal with a little more than 15 minutes remaining.

Rosales had one chance to tie the game on her own with a shot that barely missed the upper right corner. She also added a slick cross that evaded a pair of Lakers in front of the goal in the final 10 minutes. The Berwyn native led the Lakers with four shot attempts and became the first Roosevelt player in nearly two years to have at least three points in a game with her goal and assist.

UP NEXT: Roosevelt will honor its seven seniors on Sunday afternoon prior to its 1 p.m. matinee against Upper Iowa at Morris Field. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.