MORAGA, Calif. - Though the Saint Mary's Women's Soccer Team scored first in their non-conference match up with UC Davis, missed opportunities to tack on allowed the Aggies to hang around and gain momentum for their second-half comeback in the Gaels 2-1 loss Thursday night at Saint Mary's Stadium.

The Gaels struck first in the contest in the 22nd minute. Malia Allison threw the ball in and immediately got it back from Alexis Gutierrez, Allison sent a perfect cross into the middle of the box and Suzuna Shibukawa headed a high, arcing shot over the leaping Aggies keeper for her fifth goal of the year and a 1-0 Gaels lead.

Saint Mary's would have more opportunities to score as the half wore on, but seemed to maybe try one pass too many in an effort to get off the perfect shot, which would lead to no shot at all on some of their chances to attack the Aggies. Shots they did get off in the rest of the half would be off the mark or handled by the keeper

The teams traded scoring opportunities early on in a second half that would see the level of physicality crank up and the referee swallowing his whistle for the most part. There would be an exchange of fouls around the 60-minute mark when a Gaels foul was sandwiched between two Aggies fouls. Just two and half minutes later a yellow card was issued to the UC Davis keeper and a the referee had a lengthy conversation with Aggie goalie, quite possibly about conversations she was having with Saint Mary's players.

As that conversation between the referee and the Aggies goalkeeper ended, attention shifted to Gales keeper Taylor Poland. The Gaels training staff was called out to the field and Poland would exit the game due to an injury, possibly suffered in an sequence just minutes earlier that saw Laura Trapero Sanz make a save with her back or earlier in the contest.

Redshirt senior Sonja Rajatalo would step in at keeper for the Gaels and make a save almost immediately. Another yellow card was issued to the Aggies for a dangerous tackle, but the Gaels were ruled offsides in a subsequent scoring opportunity and then whistled for a foul themselves that set up a free kee for the Aggies about five yards back and to the right of the penalty box. The strong shot on goal from the Aggies set piece was stopped by Rajatalo, but she couldn't quite control the rebound and the Aggies Risa Yamada put it in the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 in the 75th minute.

Just eight minutes later a cross from Yamada over the Gaels defenders found Jayde Holley in the top left corner of the penalty box and she blasted a shot past Rajatalo for her first goal of the year and put UC Davis up 2-1. Saint Mary's would attempt to muster a few more scoring opportunities in the final seven minutes but it was too late as the Gaels suffered their first loss of the season and are now 5-1-2 on the year.

UP NEXT
The Gaels will host the University of Nevada at 1:00 p.m. this Sunday, September 19 at Saint Mary's Stadium.

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