The University of Redlands women’s soccer team lost for the second time in as many games on Sunday in Redlands, dropping a 1-2 decision to regional rival UC Santa Cruz.

Despite its run in the final five minutes of play, the Bulldogs could not convert on scoring chances, which ultimately proved to be the team’s downfall in a hard-fought defeat.

While the score was tied at zero at the end of the first half, the Banana Slugs controlled the pace of the game and kept the ball primarily in their offensive third. At the break, UC Santa Cruz held a 9-3 advantage in shots and outchanced the Bulldogs on corners, 4-1.

Katie Hayden turned and fired a shot from 40 yards out in the 48th minute, giving the Maroon and Gray a one-goal deficit to overcome early in the second stanza.

Junior defender Chelsea Hafley (Redlands, CA) laced a bending shot toward the top center of the goal off of a set piece in the 66th minute, but the ball bounced off of the crossbar, leaving the team in its 0-1 hole. Less than a minute later, sophomore forward Jaimie Morton (Boise, ID) took a solid shot on goal, but the Banana Slug keeper swatted it away. Sophomore forward Fionna Connolly (Salem, OR) then put her head on the ball, only to see it go wide right.

Maritza Hernandez pushed the lead to 2-0 with a shot from the top of the box in the 85th minute, giving the Bulldogs little time to mount a rally.

Redlands would spend the next four and a half minutes fighting for its life, and just more than one minute after Hernandez’s goal, Hafley converted on a set piece to cut the margin in half.

Junior forward Leslie Horner (Portland, OR) and Connolly found themselves on a breakaway to the net with just one minute left on the clock, and Horner unloaded a shot that careened off of the crossbar and into the possession of freshman midfielder Kendall Pegan (Lafayette, CA), who subsequently unleashed an attempt that went wide right. From that point forward, UC Santa Cruz was able to clear the ball out on a goal kick and hold off the Bulldogs for the victory.

Senior goalkeeper Tenley Rawlings (Salt Lake City, UT) was the tough-luck loser between the pipes, posting six saves. Monica Chasen picked up the win despite tallying just one save.

Redlands (0-2) looks to right the ship on Thursday against Chapman University in Redlands. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Farquhar Field.