In return to league action, Colonials lose 3-1 to UIC

Photo courtesy Robert Morris University athletics

Robert Morris women’s soccer team got back into Horizon League play, but fell short, 3-1, on the road against the University of Illinois-Chicago in Loves Park, IL, on Wednesday afternoon.

Gabriella Lecuona scored her first goal of the season to make thing interesting, cutting the lead to 2-1 in the second half.  UIC’s Savannah Jackson would score twice, including adding an insurance goal in the late moments of the match.

The Colonials were outshot 20-13, but goalkeeper Courtney Warstell made seven saves.  With the loss, RMU falls to 1-3 (0-3 HL) on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UIC just narrowly missed out on grabbing the lead within the first two minutes of action Wednesday afternoon.

Following a failed Colonials free-kick, UIC’s Louise Trapp worked her way into the RMU box with possession before firing a hard strike at Courtney Worstell that the redshirt junior just managed to get a hand on for the stop.

RMU followed it up with a close call of their own after a through ball sprung Sheridan Reid on a one-on-one fast break, however her effort was neatly handled by Lena Kurz in goal for the Flames.

Two more free kicks for RMU failed to yield results in terms of tangible scoring chances before UIC finally got on the board in the 34′ minute when Savannah Jackson tapped home a rebound in the six yard box after Worstell made the initial stop on a shot from Kaitlyn Montague.

Brittany O’Connell’s shot on target in the 37′ was again swallowed up by Kurz as RMU headed into the half trailing 1-0.

The Colonials continued to earn decent looks into the second, particularly off of set pieces where Kaoru Hayashi just narrowly missed the net after a volley into the box found her with time  and space to get a shot off.

A foul on Lecuona set up a free kick for UIC, who took advantage and doubled their lead after Leah Senese headed in the free kick past Worstell in the 72′.

Despite the blow, the Colonials continued to press and Lecuona soon made up for it, getting RMU on the board with her first goal of the season, slotting home a strike into the lower right hand corner of the net past an outstretched Kurz to cut it back to a one-goal game.

Another volley from Hayashi in the 82′ sailed high as RMU failed to tie things up before UIC scored again to make it 3-1 on a header from Jackson for her second of the game.

One final push from the Colonials included a scoring chance from Devan Noll, however Kurz managed one final save to secure the win for the Flames.

RMU returns to action next Wednesday when they host Purdue Fort Wayne at SouthePointe Fieldhouse at 1:00 p.m.