Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola held a commanding 16-3 shot advantage, but could not find the back of the net, falling 1-0 to No. 24 Carroll College (Mont.) in a non-conference matchup on a hot Friday night at Al Barbour Field.
The Eagles drop to 2-3-1 on the season with the loss and have now been shutout in each of their three losses. The Saints improve to 6-0-0.
With the temperature at kick-off around 97 degrees, both teams still put forth a great match despite the heat. Biola seemed to have the better of play through much of the contest, controlling possession and firing 16 shots on the Carroll goal. However, a combination of a strong backline and great goalkeeping kept the Eagles from tallyin a goal.
Biola took control of the game early and recorded a number of great scoring chances in the first 10 minutes. The best chance came just four minutes in as
Stephanie Cubias gathered a loose ball in the box, made a great move around a defender and took an open shot. However, the Saints' goalkeeper Erin Volz made the first of six saves on the night.
In the 12th minute, Carroll got its first solid scoring chance as Rachell Kuntz cracked a shot from 18 yards out on the right side only to see
Lia Unterholzner make a great diving stop.
The Saints broke through with the first goal in the 24th minute as Kuntz took a similar shot off a cross which trickled across the top of the box from Laura Maddock. This time she was able to get it past Unterholzner and give the visitors the first goal of the game.
Biola had another great set of chances in the 36th minute, taking three corner kicks over a 90 second span, getting three shots off, but all of them being blocked by Saint defenders.
In the second half, the Eagles turned up the heat. Four minutes in,
Brittany Barr intercepted a clearance attempt and made a great through pass to
Chrissy King. She then touched it to
Jessica Austin who fired a shot on net, but right at Volz, who made the save.
Five minutes later,
Chrissy King made a great run to get to the top corner of the box, spinned around a defender and fired a shot from 10 yards out. But again, Volz was right there to make the tough save.
Biola continued to have chance after chance, but could not find the equalizer. The Eagles' last chance came in the 87th minute as senior
Katie Cabuling settled the ball 24 yards out and lofted a shot high toward the top corner. Volz initally was caught off guard, but made a great leaping stop to keep the ball out.
Just over a minute later, Cabuling suffered an injury on a questionable no-call tackle and had to be carried off the field. Biola was not able to recover from that blow and didn't possess the ball much over the final two minutes as the Saints held on to win.
Unterholzner was making her first collegiate start in goal for the Eagles and made a pair of saves, facing three shots overall but suffered the loss.
Biola returns to action next Friday night, hosting UC Santa Cruz at 7:00 p.m. in its final match before opening GSAC play he last week of September.
