In Saturday’s rematch of last season’s Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament Championship Final in Redlands, the University of Redlands women’s soccer team fell once again to the No. 24 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, this time by a 1-2 tally.

It took two overtime periods for the nationally-ranked Athenas to best the Bulldogs, and with the loss, the Maroon and Gray falls below the .500 mark on the season.

After a scoreless first half, junior midfielder Jessi Hoyt (Boise, ID) laced a shot past Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ all-conference goalkeeper in the 55th minute, putting Redlands on top, 1-0. Giselle Galanto answered just seven minutes later, finding the back of the net from the top of the box to knot the score at one apiece.

Feeling the pressure to finish off the Athenas in regulation, three different Bulldog offensive players took quality shots under the two-minute mark, but the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps keeper, Camila Friedman-Gerlicz, notched two saves and forced the match into overtime.

The first post-regulation stanza included physical play by both teams, resulting in a rejuvenated attitude despite the scorching heat.

Rachel Bunting plunged a dagger in the Bulldogs’ hopes to pull off the upset victory, capitalizing on a cross by Olivia Sylvester 2:16 into the second overtime period.

Senior goalkeeper Tenley Rawlings (Salt Lake City, UT) stopped three shots and shouldered the loss while Friedman-Gerlicz recorded seven saves in the Athenas’ winning effort.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps held the upper hand in shots, 22-21, and also received more corner kick opportunities (6-2).

Redlands (3-4, 2-1 SCIAC) looks to climb back to the top of the conference heap, facing a formidable Cal Lutheran University team on Wednesday. Game time is set for 4 p.m. in Thousand Oaks.