Fighting for First

Friday, October 12

Riverside, Calif.

3:00 PM

California Baptist University

10-3-1, 3-2-0WAC

Kansas City

12-3-0, 4-0-0WAC

UMKC

California Baptist

Carissa Christensen finishes with 12 saves to keep CBU women's soccer in the game against Kansas City.

Photo by: Danielle Lutjens

10/12/2018 5:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Sammi Wellman, Director of Sports Information

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — In a battle of two of the top teams in the Western Athletic Conference Friday afternoon, California Baptist University put up a fight with the preseason conference favorites, but dropped a 1-0 loss to Kansas City.

The Lancers – who came into the game tied for second place – drop to 10-3-1 on the year, 3-2-0 in conference with the loss. The Roos improve to 12-3-0 overall and remain unblemished in the WAC with a 4-0-0 mark to remain in first place.

"I thought we played well and were the better team in stretches of the match," said Coach Kristen St. Clair. "We generated some really good scoring opportunities and got unlucky with balls being cleared off the line and hitting the post."

Carissa Christensen had one of the best games of any goalkeeper in CBU history, making 12 saves to keep her team in the game. Not only is it a career-high for the grad transfer, but ranks third-most in the Lancers' all-time record book, including second in the NCAA era.

"Carissa was the player of the match," said St. Clair. "She played very well in goal today and came up with key saves when we needed her to."

UMKC put up a strong first half and broke down the CBU defense in the 34^th minute to take a 1-0 lead, but the Lancers ended the frame on a high note, looking to turn things around.

"To beat a team of UMKC's quality, we knew it would take 90 minutes of our best work," said St. Clair. "Unfortunately, we were not as consistent as we should have been in our ball winning, poise on the ball and one-versus-one battles."

In the 42^nd minute, CBU got two dangerous looks off within a matter of seconds of each other. Miranda Martinez started with a spin shot 12 yards out, but the Roo goalkeeper couldn't hang onto it. The loose ball then fell to Lanai Navarro, who found a hole in the UMKC defense and sent her shot to the back post. The goalkeeper managed to get enough of her fingertips on it to hit it off the post, but it stayed out of the net to give the visitors the 1-0 lead at the break.

CBU came out of halftime looking to build on the last five minutes of the first and created more chances, but couldn't quite get the shots it was hoping for. As the clock wound down, the Roos tried to stall, but any time the Lancers got the ball, they were knocking on the door.

With just a minute on the clock, CBU was giving everything it had to find the equalizer. Rebecca Romero – who leads the Lancers and ranks third in the WAC with six assists on the year – drove a dangerous cross into the six-yard box. The UMKC defense managed to clear it briefly, but it ultimately fell to Valerie Cortez about 20 yards out with just six seconds on the clock. The freshman got the shot off in time, but Kansas City's goalkeeper made the save to prevent overtime and give the Roos the 1-0 victory.

The Lancers turn right around to face another team in the upper echelon of the WAC, Utah Valley on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Wolverines were predicted to take second in the conference and currently sit in fourth, with one less game played than third-place The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

"We need to put this game behind us and begin preparing for Sunday's game against another physical opponent," said St. Clair.