One second half comeback was not enough Sunday for the Oakland University women’s soccer team to extend their win streak to three games. After going into halftime with a 2-0 deficit, the Golden Grizzlies fought back to tie the game before eventually losing 4-2 to the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

 

The loss marked the first time in 10 tries that Southern Utah had ever defeated Oakland.

 

Midway through the first half, SU was able to put one past Oakland’s goalkeeper Shannon Coley off of a rebound. The Thunderbirds badly outshot the Grizzlies in the first half and controlled much of the possession.

 

With less than two minutes to play before halftime, the Thunderbirds capitalized on a corner kick with a header that trickled past Coley, extending their lead to two.

 

Head coach Nick O’Shea attributed his team’s first half deficit to a lack of hustle and effort.

 

“We just did not play in the first half. Soccer involves running and that is something that nobody on our team did in the first half,” he said.

 

Oakland came out strong in the second half by controlling possession and outshooting Southern Utah with nine shots compared to the Thunderbirds’ five.

 

Five minutes into the second half, Southern Utah’s goalie collided with one of her defenders while trying to get her hands on an Oakland lob pass. Both SU players went down and Oakland’s Sarah Lynch casually knocked the ball in the net to get the Grizzlies on the scoreboard.

 

In the 66th minute, OU tied the game 2-2 apiece when sophomore Deanna Colarossi got free from a couple of defenders and volleyed the ball out of the air and into the back of the net.

 

“We have been and were again today a second half team,” said team captain Lindsay Blair. “Our team does not always realize how hard we have to work to win.”

 

Oakland’s loss in this game could be largely attributed to inefficient defense of set-piece plays since three of the Thunderbirds four goals resulted from them.

 

“On set plays we just fall asleep and nobody takes charge,” O’Shea said after the game. “We gave up three set piece goals against Michigan [Sept. 16] and gave up three again today.”

 

Blair attributes the team’s set-piece weaknesses to the same cause.

 

“Players are just not going to the ball. They do not want to have to do it themselves,” she said.

 

With the loss, OU’s season record fell to 4-6 overall, 1-1 in conference. The Golden Grizzlies will play their next game Oct. 9, when they take on South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D.