After upsetting the Hardin-Simmons University (TX) Cowgirls in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships, the University of Redlands women's soccer team struggled to repeat the feat against the No. 3 Trinity University Tigers (TX) and suffered a 0-2 loss during Sunday's second-round match.
The Tiger offense came out firing, as Bulldog junior goalkeeper Lexi Felix (Kailua, HI) felt the pressure early and corralled two saves in the first six minutes of action.
Moments later, Trinity took advantage of opportunity and jumped on the scoreboard twice in the matter of a five-minute span for the 2-0 lead.
With the Bulldogs looking for a breakthrough score, junior forward Savannah Laursen (Boise, ID) and sophomore forward McKenzie Oliger (Seattle, WA) fired off quality shots in the first half.
During the second stanza, Redlands continued to fight but offensive chances came at a premium. On the defensive end of the field, Felix continued to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance, as she hauled in six saves to keep the Tigers from converting any other scores.
Unfortunately, the Maroon and Gray never found the back of the net, resulting in the end of an impressive late-season run.
Head Coach Suzette Soboti led her Bulldogs to a 12-7-3 overall record and guided the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's fourth-place team to a second-round appearance at the NCAA Championships. This was the program's fourth showing at the second round of the national tournament.