LAS VEGAS N.M. - The first 59 minutes were promising to the Cowgirls with an early goal, but the skies opened up for a delay and the Rangers scored twice after the break as the New Mexico Highlands soccer team (10-4-4, 7-3-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) fell 2-1 to Regis (13-4-1, 11-3 RMAC) in the regular season for both teams Sunday (Nov. 2).
As both teams were playing a midfield game for most of the first half, the Cowgirls struck first thanks to the wind and a long goal kick from freshman
Sarah Beecher. Beecher blasted a ball that got up the air and flew all the way to down around the top of the box on the left side. From there, freshman
Mallory Bostic shot left post was saved by Regis' keeper. However, she could not corral it as sophomore
Anyssa Dagnino put the ball in the back of the net in the 32nd minute. The Cowgirls remained up by the 1-0 margin heading into intermission as neither team even recorded a shot in the final 12 minutes of the first half.
With her 10th goal of the season, Dagnino finshed tied with Metropolitan State University of Denver's Karisa Price for the 2014 RMAC scoring crown.
Regis had one shot in the second half's early minutes before the skies openedup at the 58:25 mark. After an hour and 25 minutes, the Rangers wasted no time time in scoring the equalizer and the game winner. In the 62nd minute, Maggie Saras found Catharine Anger in front of the goal. Anger went left post, just pass the outstretched hands of Beecher, for her third goal of the season. Just five minutes later, Regis' Saras scored from the center of the box, going right post. The final 22 minutes went off the clock with any real scoring opportunity as the visitors held on for the one goal win.
Beecher finished her regular season freshman campaign in goal for the Cowgirls with a 10-4-4 record, grabbing five saves to finish with 83 for the season. Kat Crump tallied four saves in goal for the Rangers and finished the regular season 13-3-1.
The Cowgirls will be the fourth seed in the upcoming RMAC Tournament and will host Fort Lewis Wednesday (Nov. 5) tentatively at 4 p.m. Tickets will be $8 for adults and $4 for students and children.
