Soccer scores first, but falls to Air Force, 3-1

STATS

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A physical contest in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains led to a 3-1 loss to Air Force for the Morehead State soccer team at Cadet Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
 
Freshman forward Dani Wilson kept up her offensive onslaught by striking first for the Eagles in the 15^th minute. She took a lead pass from senior defender Kelsey Patera and bobbed and weaved into the goalkeepers' box to beat sophomore goalie Meghan Strange for her fourth goal of the season.
 
The Falcons answered with a game-tying goal in the 47^th minute off of a header from sophomore midfielder Angela Karamanos. She sped her way into the goalkeepers' box, delivering off of an assist from sophomore defender Morgan Mavroudis.
 
Air Force's aggressive offensive style continued as the match progressed late into the second half. The Falcons took the lead for good in the 78^th minute, as senior forward Ally Swift scored on a breakaway against freshman goalkeeper Michelle Washburn, who made her collegiate debut. The Falcons finished off the afternoon with Swift's second goal, as she scored off of an assist from sophomore midfielder Brooke Rittman with a header into the top right corner of the net.
 
According to head coach Warren Lipka, the first road trip of the season was a learning experience for his resilient team.
 
"I think we're going to take a lot of positives from this down the road, but it was tough playing here. It's tough playing in the altitude, it's tough traveling," said Lipka. "This was a good challenge for us, but we needed to do it and I'm glad we did. Now we need to sharpen up and get ready for next weekend."
 
The Eagles continue their four-match road stretch with the final two contests in Charleston, S.C. On Friday at 2 p.m. ET they take on Francis Marion (S.C.) and on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET they face Charleston Southern.