ORANGE, Calif.— Chapman women's soccer opened up SCIAC play at falling 3-1 to Cal Lutheran. The Panthers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but eventually gave up three unanswered goals late in the first and throughout the second half. 
 

Standout sophomore Athena Tsakiris fired a beautiful shot finding the back of the net halfway through the first half giving the Panthers their only goal of the evening. The lead was short lived, as Cal Lutheran's Keira Hazard sent a rainbow goal into the net which bounced just over the outreached arms of senior goalkeeper Sienna Gomez. Chapman continued to play hard keeping the pressure on, firing a total of eight shots throughout the game. 

Both teams kept momentum high and continued the competitive play, holding the score 1-1 for the majority of the first half. The Panthers gave up an own goal giving Cal Lutheran a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish. 

Finally, Cal Lutheran's Olivia Suarez squeak one more into the back of the net pushing the Regals ahead 3-1. 

Despite the loss, Gomez stepped up and out of the goalie box to stop a Cal Lutheran breakaway. She made a crucial save for the Panthers with two minutes left in the game, serving as a highlight to end off the night. 

The Panthers will look to regain their momentum on the road this weekend. They are set to face off against Whittier College on Saturday Sept. 27.