The University of Redlands women's soccer team traveled to Cal Lutheran University on Wednesday, September 13, to take on the Regals in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener. Although the teams played even through the first half, Redlands struggled to match the offensive prowess of the home team in the second and fell by a score of 0-3.
Both teams played aggressive from the start, with each registering multiple fouls. After CLU fired off a shot high above the crossbar, Redlands orchestrated a counterattack in the 18th minute, when sophomore midfielder Hanya Loskutoff (Dublin, CA) blasted a shot that forced the Regal keeper to make a nice save.
A minute later, Cal Lutheran had another opportunity, but senior goalkeeper Hannah Menk (Pleasanton, CA) stepped up to the challenge by making an impressive save.
In the 28th minute, the Bulldogs earned another good look, when senior forward Mollie Craighead (Descanso, CA) took a shot but it ricocheted off the far post. Just three minutes later, sophomore midfielder Mel Johnson (Bremerton, WA) hit one towards goal but the Cal Lutheran defense blocked it, as the teams eventually entered halftime in a scoreless stalemate.
The Regals started the second half reenergized and put Redlands in a 0-1 hole just minutes into the stanza. Although Menk stepped up to make 11 saves by the end of the game, the Regals managed to score twice more to send the Maroon and Gray home with a loss.
The Bulldogs (3-1-0, 0-1-0 SCIAC) remain on the road for their next SCIAC game, which takes place at Whittier College on Saturday, September 16. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.
