Athenas Lose Both Games On Opening Weekend

The women's soccer team lost both of their games on their opening weekend despite holding halftime advantages in both contests.  The Athenas lost 2-1 (2OT) to St. Thomas (MN) in the first game and 4-2 to Washington University (St. Louis) in the second.

The Athenas opened their season with a home game against University of St. Thomas.  Despite the excitement of starting the season, the Athenas were not able to come away with a victory.  St. Thomas won the game 2-1 in overtime.  The first half started off rough, but the Athenas settled the ball down and managed to find the back of the net at the 24 minute mark.  Laura Hagen (SO, Bellevue, WA) sent a nice ball across field to Kirsten McAfee (SO, Albuquerque, NM).  McAfee was able to send a perfectly placed ball across the goal into the side netting.

The Athenas continued fighting, but St. Thomas came out hard in the second half trying to find a way back into the game.  With a 1-0 lead, the Athenas became a little too complacent.  St. Thomas was able to find a way to break through and score, putting the game into a tie.  Both teams fought to score before the end of regulation.  The Athenas had many close chances, including one ball that missed by mere inches. In overtime St. Thomas found a way to finish first and scored with two minutes remaining in the game.

In the second game, the Athenas came out on fire in the first half against nationally ranked Washington University of St. Louis, scoring two goals before the first half was complete. Laura Hagen rifled a shot from the top of the 18-yard box which was deflected by the keeper and then collected by Giselle Galanto (JR, Duarte [pictured]) who touched it into the goal to put the Athenas up 1-0.  CMS went up 2-0 after Julia Nishioka (FR, Honolulu, HI) found the feet of Rachel Bunting (FR, Eugene, OR) who slipped the ball far post.

Spirits were high coming in for the start of the second half. The Athenas had several near opportunities in the opening minutes of the half, but unfortunately could not convert. In a surprising turn of events, the Bears went on a 4-0 run, finding open shots from beyond the 18 yard box and catching the Athenas off guard. The game ended 4-2.

The Athenas head to Texas for a two game series road trip beginning on Friday. They look to continue getting better with every game, anticipating the start of conference play.