ST. PAUL, MN – A game that started with fireworks turned into a defensive struggle. The University of Mary women's soccer team found itself on the short end of a 2-1 score in a loss to homestanding Concordia-St. Paul on a day all three goals were scored in the first 26 minutes of play,
 
The loss snapped the Marauders (3-7-3 overall, 3-6-2 NSIC) three-game unbeaten streak.
 
The Golden Bears (4-7-4, 4-4-4) stunned the Marauders early when Brooke Salo scored an unassisted goal just 1:54 into the contest. Salo scored her first counter of the year when she fired a shot into the right corner of the net after the Marauders failed to clear the ball out following a CSP corner kick.
 
A corner kick led to the Marauders knotting the game in the 25^th minute. Freshman Taylor Weeks headed a ball into the far right post off Megan Searson's serve.
 
Just 50 seconds later the Golden Bears responded with what proved to be the game-winning marker. Scoring her second goal of the day, Salo struck from 20 yards out with a drive into the right corner.
 
Following the early goal flurry, amazingly neither team managed to find the back of the net again.
 
Emily Julian just missed on a couple scoring opportunities. The Marauders sophomore hit the crossbar in the 40^th minute. Then, with time running down, Julian just missed on a header in the 86^th minute off another corner kick, forcing Golden Bears goalkeeper Emily Nelson to make one of her eight saves.
 
The Marauders continued to scramble. Welch had a shot blocked in the 86^th minute, Michelle McGeary corralled the loose ball but her shot was stopped by Nelson. Another Welch shot then went high. One final attempt in the final three minutes went awry when Julian's shot went wide.
 
The Marauders held a 21-13 edge in shots attempted and a 9-5 advantage in shots on frame. Mary also took six corner kicks to four for CSP.
 
In the midst of a four-game road trip, the Marauders play at Minnesota State University on Sunday, Oct. 23.
 
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