JOLIET, Ill. – The IU Columbus Crimson Pride were dealt their first loss of the 2025 season with a hard-fought 3-0 final to the University of St. Francis(IL) on Saturday afternoon at Joliet Memorial Stadium. The loss drops the squad to 0-1-1 on the young season while the Fighting Saints improve to 2-0-0.
Despite generating three shots on goal and battling evenly through the first half, the Crimson Pride were unable to find the back of the net against a disciplined St. Francis defense anchored by goalkeeper Giselle Mata, who made three saves to earn the clean sheet victory.
The match remained scoreless through the opening 45 minutes, with both teams feeling each other out in the early going. IU Columbus managed just one shot in the first half but kept pace defensively.
The second half told a different story as the Fighting Saints found their rhythm offensively. Mia Ocana broke the deadlock in the 47th minute with an unassisted goal, capitalizing on a defensive breakdown to put St. Francis ahead 1-0.
The Crimson Pride responded with increased attacking pressure, generating two shots on goal in the second half as midfielders Lily Campbell and Madelynn Thangam looked to create opportunities. However, the equalizer never came.
St. Francis struck twice more to put the match away, with Isabel Diez scoring in the 60th minute off an assist from Ocana before adding an unassisted goal in the 79th minute to complete the scoring.
Goalkeeper Mallory Gilley battled admirably in her first start of the season, making 15 saves on 18 shots faced. The junior keeper was particularly busy in the second half, saving away 7 shots as St. Francis poured on the pressure with 33 total attempts.
The Crimson Pride managed to stay disciplined, committing just five fouls compared to St. Francis' eight, but were unable to generate significant offensive pressure with zero corner kicks on the afternoon.
Madison Merritt, Avy Burkholder, and Lily Campbell worked tirelessly in the center of the park, while the defensive unit of Rebecca Valdez, Rachael Garcia, and Rachel Lamping battled against a potent St. Francis attack that outshot IU Columbus 33-4 overall.
The loss serves as an early learning experience for an IUC squad looking to build chemistry and find their identity in 2025. With the season just beginning, there's plenty of time to regroup and make adjustments.
IU Columbus will look to bounce back in their next outing as they continue to search for their first win of the campaign. The team showed heart and determination despite the challenging road environment, providing a foundation to build upon moving forward.
Next Up: The Crimson Pride look to take on the University of Cincinnati-Clermont on their home pitch on Wednesday, September 3. Kickoff is set for 4:30 PM.
