Box Score SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's soccer team kicked off their three-game road trip in San Diego this afternoon where they dropped their final non-conference match to Point Loma Nazarene 5-2.

INSIDE THE MATCH UP
Final:  UCCS 2, #17 PLNU 5
Records: UCCS 2-2-2 (0-0-0 RMAC), PLNU 3-1-1 (0-0-0 PacWest)
Location: PLNU Soccer Field | San Diego, Calif.
Series: This marks the third time the UCCS and PLNU programs have faced off with PLNU taking the lead two games to one in the all-time series.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Point Loma jumped on UCCS early as they scored two goals in the first twenty minutes of the contest. The first, a partial breakaway by Jillian Tubbs, entered the net in the 14^th minute after a defensive breakdown forced Alexa Malaspina to come forward and challenge Tubbs angle. Tubbs was able to poke it out of the reach of Malaspina and in. Three minutes later, again it was the Sea Lions deep in the UCCS end, this time the hosts forced a corner which Zoe Crockett would convert after the restart, giving PLNU the early 2-0 lead.
• In the 21' the Mountain Lions again found themselves in trouble when a defensive third turnover again gave the Sea Lions a chance to further their advantage. As the Sea Lion attacker closed in on net, freshman Malia Groshong latched onto her jersey and was called for a penalty kick opportunity. Alana Diaz took the chance for PLNU, but Alexa Malaspina read her shot perfectly to make the save, keeping the score at 2-0.
• The Mountain Lions would find the board in the 40^th minute as sophomore Luka Johnson, who had only been in the game for seven minutes, solved the Sea Lion defense. Johnson went slicing down the left wing, darting past several PLNU defenders on her way to a right-footed rocket that beat Julia Pinnell in the Point Loma net. With just under five minutes to play, UCCS had life.
• Point Loma began the second half with a bang, with Gianna Masinter unleashing a perfect strike that was out of the reach of Malaspina at the top of the net. Then, just under ten minutes into the half it was again the Sea Lions finding the net, this time it was Bethany Arabe grabbing a pass from Naomi Ellis and depositing it to give the hosts a 4-1 lead.
• The scoring paraded on 45 seconds after Arabe's goal with PLNU driving right down the field and catching the Mountain Lions with their guard still down. Nicki Friedman passed it forward to find Masinter for her second of the game, and the fifth for PLNU.
• The Mountain Lions got one back in the 79^th minute when freshman Brooke Pavlich scored her second goal of the season in as many games, launching a chance from over 40 yards out that caught Julia Pinnell sleeping, cutting into the lead for the Sea Lions to make the total 5-2.
• The Sea Lions nearly added a sixth as time expired in the match but the chance rang off the crossbar and out of play, as the Sea Lions earn the 5-2 home victory.

STATS FROM THE DAY

• The two sides combined for three goals (2-1), 10 shots (7-3) and five shots on goal in the first half, with PLNU leading all three categories.
• Gianna Masinter led all scorers with two strikes, on three total shots.
• Luka Johnson nets her first goal of the 2024 season in the 40^th minute.
• Izzy Lalouette made her NCAA debut when she replaced Alexa Malaspina in goal in the 77^th minute.

BEYOND THE BOX

• First time UCCS has conceded five goals under J. B. Belzer's direction, first time the squad had allowed five since October 21^st, 2016, when MSU Denver beat the Mountain Lions 7-0 in Denver.
• PLNU more than doubled their season goal total, having scored just four goals coming into Saturday's match.

UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions open RMAC play on Friday when they travel to Golden to face off with Colorado School of Mines with kickoff set for 6 p.m. at Stermole Soccer Stadium.

SOCIAL
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.