A road trip through Idaho and Montana proved fruitless for the SFU Clan women's soccer team as they dropped two matches last week to American opposition.
On Saturday, the Clan fell 1-0 to Northwest Nazarene University, their fourth straight loss, on a heartbreaking last minute goal by Julianne Steele.
Steele scored in the 89th minute, on a shot from 15 yards out that rippled the right side of the Clan net. The goal came against the run of play, as the Clan put all kinds of pressure on Northwest Nazarene, outshooting the home side 7-2 in the second half.
"Soccer's not always a fair game and it's hard to lose a match like this. Our team played a very good game, and things just didn't go our way today. I feel we outplayed them and we outchanced them, but we just couldn't find the back of the net. I'm really happy with the work our team is putting in. We're going to go home, keep working hard and keep improving," Clan head coach Shelley Howieson said in a press release.
The loss came only days after the Clan were beaten 41 by Montana State University Billings.
The home squad opened the scoring when Jaucelyn Richter received a pass through the 18yard box off a throw-in.
Richter put the shot into the near post to give her team a 1-0 lead. It was Richter's fifth goal of the season and was the only tally of the first half.
The Clan tied the game early in the second half when Anna Brancati scored from 15 yards out into the lower left corner of the net.
But Montana State responded less than 10 minutes later when Jennifer Larsen scored her first goal of the season, heading a corner kick into the back of the net in the 61st minute.
The home side got insurance markers in the 79th and 85th minutes to salt away the win that now moves them to 6-1-1 on the season.
"The elevation here does make this a difficult place to play, and I think it may have contributed a little to our slow start today," Howieson said in a press release.
"Having said that, we have been playing some very good soccer, but small breakdowns have hurt us."
The women hope to get back on the winning track at home when they host the Saint Martin's Saints at Fox Field this Thursday night at 7 p.m.
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