Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho – A day of missed chances turned into a disappointing loss for the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon.

Playing for pride after seeing their postseason hopes finished in a loss on Thursday, the Northwest Nazarene women's soccer team had chance after chance but couldn't put away a goal.

That proved costly as Saint Martin's finally broke a scoreless tie with 9 minutes, 4 seconds remaining in the teams' Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest at Finkbeiner Park, leaving NNU's campus with a 1-0 win over the Crusaders.
 

"That was the worst game we played all year," said NNU head women's soccer coach Mary Trigg, whose team might have still been stinging from Thursday's heartbreaker against WOU and seeing their playoff aspirations dashed.

"But give credit to Saint Martin's, they out-worked us and wanted it more."

Nicole Nsa led the charge on offense for NNU (4-9-3 overall, 3-8-1 GNAC), taking five of the team's 14 shots in the contest.

But neither she nor any of her teammates could get a ball past Sunny De Boer in goal for the Saints as she made six saves in the shutout.

Crusader goalkeeper Daniele Ortiz kept pace with her, making six saves, until a late push by SMU (2-12-2, 2-9-1).

Taylor Gersch started the game-winning play with a pass up the middle to Hanna Massee, who spun to beat a Crusader defender and fed the ball to Sasha Dini who broke in alone against Ortiz. Dini then tucked the ball into the right side of the net for the lone goal of the day.

"I'm very disappointed in the type of soccer we played today," said Trigg, whose team will look to bounce back next week when it plays its final two games of the season, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Montana State Billings next Saturday.