Lions rally late to knock off Grizzlies

August 30, 2013

Loyola Marymount scored twice in the match’s final 16 minutes to rally back for a 2-1 victory over Montana Friday afternoon at LMU’s Sullivan Field in Los Angeles. Junior Ashley Robertson had put the Grizzlies up 1-0 in the 62nd minute.

 

The loss snapped Montana’s 10-match unbeaten streak, which dated back to last season and kept the Grizzlies (0-1-2) winless on the season through three matches. Montana played to ties last weekend against Air Force and Wyoming to open the season.

 

The teams played a scoreless first half Friday. Montana had the edge in first-half corner kicks, 4-2, Loyola Marymount had an 11-3 advantage in shots, though the Lions put just two of those shots on goal.

 

Like they did last Friday against Air Force in a scoreless second half, Robertson and senior Mary Makris teamed up to open the match’s scoring. Makris crossed a ball into the six-yard box, and Robertson, who had checked into the match just a minute earlier, was there to redirect at 61:50.

 

It was Robertson’s fourth career goal. The assist was Makris’s seventh of her career and her fourth in Montana’s last eight matches dating back to last season.

 

And like Air Force did against Montana in last Friday’s 1-1 draw, the Lions answered back when Madison Heilmann’s cross was headed in by Jocelyn Blankenship at 74:43. It was her first goal of the season and ended Montana’s 205-minute stretch of not allowing a goal.

 

Tawni Martino scored the game-winner at 83:21 when she took a cross from Cassidy Nicks and right-footed a shot from the top of the box past Griz keeper Kendra McMillen.

 

Montana, which was outshot 22-5 for the game, was unable to generate a shot that could have evened the score in the final minutes.

 

Loyola Marymount (2-1-0) took seven corner kicks in the second half and finished with a 9-5 advantage for the game. The Lions had five field players who were in the match all 90 minutes, including Blankenship and Martino.

 

Brittany Jagger went the distance in goal for LMU. She did not record a save.

 

Senior Britta Hjalmarsson took a team-high two shots for Montana. McMillen made five saves.

 

Montana will face Cal State Fullerton (1-1-0) Sunday at 2 p.m. (MT) at Fullerton, Calif. The Titans are hosting Utah Friday night.

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