REDLANDS, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran Regals fell to the Redlands Bulldogs 1-0 in heartbreaking fashion, Saturday morning, with a late goal in the 88th minute of play. Junior Kristina Spaur led the offense with four of the team's 16 shots, but the lineup continued to struggle to place one between the posts.
Though the Regals took three shots on goal in the first period, all found the hands of Bulldogs' keeper Brittany Dinkins, including a clean shot by senior Nina Winsick in the 35th minute. Freshmen Danielle Vis opened the play with a corner from the left flag that rattled in the box before a poor clearance from a Redlands defender placed the ball back at the feet of Winsick. The defender collected the ball and shot it up the middle, but the ball one hopped straight to Dinkins.
Hoping to give Regals the lead heading into the half, freshman Kaitlyn Chandler serviced a ball with six minutes left to play out to the right line for Spaur who dribbled back into the box before nailing a shot up the middle, but again, straight to the keeper.
The hunt for three points spurred Cal Lutheran early in the second half sparked by an opening shot by senior Jordan Miller in the 48th minute. Just seven minutes later, Miller drove up the middle before serving the ball diagonally out to the right for sophomore Trinity Martinez, who took the ball up ten more yards before landing a shot on top of the net.
The Regals found their next chance in the 61st minute with a bullet from junior Riley Martin to the top left side that was saved by the fingertips of the keeper off the crossbar. The team threatened again in the 74th with Spaur's second shot on goal off the contest that narrowly missed and rattled off the right post.
However, with a little over two minutes left in regulation, the Bulldogs' responded with the lone goal of the game. Alexa Groesser took the late corner from the right flag for Redlands, serving the ball into the box, but was cleared out by the Regals defense. Groesser regained possession and sent a second cross into the box for Gabby Hart who headed the ball into the left side of the net.
The loss moves Cal Lutheran to 4-2-3 overall and 3-2-2 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Regals are back on the road Wednesday, October 3, against the Chapman Panthers at 4 p.m. PST.
Box Score: UR 1, CLU 0
Sport Instagram: @regals_soccer
Sport Twitter: @CLUwSoccer
CLU Instagram: @clusports
CLU Twitter: @CLUSports
CLU Facebook: CLU Sports
Hashtags: #clusports #goregals #gokingsmen #ownthethrone #theSCIAC #ncaad3
Release by Christy Effendie, Assistant Sports Information Director