GREELEY, Colo. – The New Mexico State women's soccer team was no match for the Northern Colorado Bears as the team fell, 4-1, Sunday afternoon for its second loss.
 
NM State played well defensively in the first half, but trailed 1-0 after Northern Colorado's Brooke Braden got the ball past goalkeeper Ashley Martin. Aggie midfielders Aileen Galicia, Jody Hernandez and Rebecca Mazzie along with defender Samantha Afonso all attempted shots at the goal, but came up short. The Aggies exited the field at halftime with a 2-0 deficit.
 
"We knew UNC was a very good team," head coach Freddy Delgado said. "This might be the best team we've played this season, but we also knew we were up for the task. We knew that if we played well, we were going to give ourselves a chance to bring home the win. Northern Colorado's goals came in the first five minutes of each half and the last five minutes of each half. That's concerning because that means we're not focused. In between, I thought we played fairly well. We created chances and played hard, but against a good team, you lose focus for just a couple of minutes and they're going to come back and bite you."   
 
At the start of the second half, NM State's offense struggled as Northern Colorado's Olivia Seddon maneuvered the ball past Martin, bringing the score to 3-0. However, the Aggies offensive line continued to make strides towards getting on the board. At the 73:47 minute mark, Hernandez found the back of the net to claim the first goal and cut the Bears' lead to 3-1.
 
"We pressed and started playing pretty well," Delgado said. "Jody (Hernandez) took a shot from a distance and she was able to chip the goalkeeper. It was an amazing shot and a great goal, but it was a reward because we had been pressing them up until that point in the second half."
 
NM State returns home as it entertains Stephen F. Austin at 3 p.m. (MT) on Friday, Sept. 8. The Aggies later host Incarnate Word on Sept. 10, at the Soccer Athletic Complex with kickoff beginning at 1 p.m.