RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside battled back late on a humid Thursday night, but dropped a 2-1 defeat to LMU at the UCR Soccer Stadium.
UCR struggled out of the gate with an LMU goal in the first minute, but the Highlanders countered with a viable chance of their own just six minutes later.
Mia DiLeo pushed her way up the pitch in the seventh minute and wove through several defenders untouched, putting boot to ball as LMU's keeper cradled the shot. Talisa Perez aggressively came off her line at the other end to deny LMU's counterattack.
Paige Gartner disrupted a buildup down the left touchline before Perez was presented with an easy stop. Sanaa Guyness sent a 14th minute free kick to the top bin, but straight at LMU's keeper.
Jayla Justice forced a sure chance over the end line in the 18th minute before Perez deflected the inswinging corner to the side on a dive. UCR at this point had established a more solid defensive rhythm, pushing the Lions' buildup further back with each recycling of the ball.
UC Riverside avoided disaster in the 35th minute with an LMU free kick headed just right of the far post. Perez didn't wait long to be challenged once more, but still made easy work of an attempt at the center of goal.
Guyness found a pocket of space in the 38th minute on the right side and let another one rip, but hit it wide of the post. UCR briefly continued holding possession and LMU later resumed its residence in its attacking half, but Perez made another diving stop from close-range on another attempt. UCR later capitalized from LMU's misfortune in the box and equalized on an own goal on the cusp of halftime.
UC Riverside threatened in front of goal immediately out of halftime, once after the opening whistle and a second time after an LMU goal kick. The pressure continued mounting on the opposite side of the ball with Gartner again chasing down and dissecting an LMU threat.
DiLeo again showed her speed, this time down the left touchline in the 55th minute before crossing a ball into Rylee Lewis. DiLeo held LMU on the ropes again in the 58th, smashing the side netting from a difficult angle. Finley Aghassi then sent the potential go-ahead strike over the crossbar in the 59th.
Both sides picked up pace even more inside 30 minutes remaining. UCR particularly held the momentum with Justice positioning herself dangerously in front of goal to receive a cross in the 67th minute.
The Highlanders created plenty of chaos on the ball sandwiched around an LMU penalty conversion in the 84th minute. UCR recorded three of its final nine shots in the final 13 minutes of play and generated plenty of threatening looks in front of goal.
UC Riverside returns to the pitch on Sunday, September 21 to open its Big West schedule with a 1:00 pm kickoff at UC Irvine. Live stats will be available at GoHighlanders.com.
