CMS Women's Soccer Suffers First SCIAC Defeat at Cal Lutheran

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's soccer team dropped its first SCIAC game of the season when it fell 1-0 on the road to Cal Lutheran on Saturday evening.

With the loss, the Athenas slip to 4-2 on the year, including 2-1 in league play, after picking up its second league win earlier this week with a 1-0 home victory over No. 17 Pomona-Pitzer. Cal Lutheran remains undefeated at 4-0-2 on the year with the win. 

The only goal of the game was scored in the 20th minute when Alexandra Fagerberg found the net off of feeds from Sam Cornejo and Trinity Martinez. 

CMS was mere inches from the equalizer minutes later, but junior midfielder Rhiann Holman clanged a shot off the crossbar in the 28th minute which would have tied the score 1-1. Sophomore defender Emily Kussick had a tying bid saved by Cal Lutheran goalkeeper Alexa Soto right after halftime, and sophomore defender Ava McIlvaine (pictured) cleared a ball off the line in the 63rd minute to keep CMS in striking distance. 

Junior Gabrielle Clouse had what turned out to be the last good chance for the Athenas in the 73rd minute, when her shot was blocked over the line for a corner kick. The Regals defense was able to hold CMS at bay the rest of the way to seal the 1-0 win. 

Cal Lutheran finished the game with a 17-11 edge in shots and a 5-3 edge in corner kicks. Sophomore goalie Claire Hamson had four saves for the Athenas in the loss, while Soto had two to get the shutout win for the Regals. 

CMS is back in action on Wednesday for another SCIAC contest, when it travels to take on Whittier at 7 p.m.