PRESCOTT, AZ- The Soka University Lady Lions were defeated by the No. 24 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Eagles 5-2 on Friday night at Embry-Riddle's Varsity Field.

The Eagles' Riley Martinson netted two first half goals, and Sierra Vicente scored a hat trick to lift their team past the Soka Lions.

Martinson converted her chances in the in the 12^th and 32^nd minutes, while Embry-Riddle's Vicente scored her first goal of the game in the 62^nd minute.

Despite being down 3-0 with over 20 minutes left to play, the Lady Lions stayed strong, and Soka's junior central defender Kaitlyn Haibel and first year striker Araceli Soto-Garcia each tallied goals to put the game back within Soka's reach at 3-2.  Haibel's goal developed off of a service from sophomore outside back Renee Parado in the 70^th minute, while Soto's goal one minute later stemmed from a solo run from Soto to beat her defender and finish her chance.

However, Vicente put the game away for the Eagles seven minutes later, after she scored back-to-back goals in the 78^th and 79^th minutes of the match, bringing the final score to 5-2 in favor of the Eagles.

"Our Soka women's soccer team turned in a strong effort against a Nationally ranked Embry-Riddle team," said Head Coach David McLeish.  "We scored two excellent goals by Kaitlyn Haibel and Araceli Soto halfway through the second half, but Injuries to Renee Parado and Merina Addonigio gave the Eagles the advantage they needed to put the game away. Our team played with great intensity and left everything they had on the field, and I am very proud of the way they played tonight."
 
Up next, the Lady Lions remain on the road as they travel to Mesa, AZ, to the face Benedictine University Redhawks in their fourth Cal Pac Conference game on Sunday Oct. 6 at 10 a.m.
 
 





NOTES: This is the 14^th meeting between the Lady Lions and the Eagles… Soka is now 0 –14 against Embry-Riddle… Soka was outshot 30-12 … Soka's Camryn Finnell made ten saves on the day… Haibel scored her first career goal, while Soto scored her 15^th goal of the season… a yellow card was shown to Embry-Riddle's Maggi McElrath.