SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Battling back from a 2-goal first half deficit, Oregon Tech made it interesting late in the second half, but the Lady Owls could not find the equalizer in a 2-1 loss at The Master's.
 
Playing in 110-degree heat, OIT (1-1-1) surrendered a pair of goals midway though the opening half – but put the clamps down on the hosts over the final 50 minutes – giving the Lady Owls a chance to respond.
 
"Travel and heat were tough on us in the first half," said OIT head coach Tom Moore. "I think once we got our lungs and feet under us, we finally started to compete. The second half was gritty and it showed we had some fight."
 
The Mustangs (3-0) opened the scoring in the 21st minute, as Kegan Brunnemann played a 35-yard ball over the Tech defense to the running Sinclair Francescon, who slotted the 1-on-1 chance into the right corner of the net.
 
TMU doubled the lead in the 36th minute, as Breana Fajardo capitalized on a failed clearance by the Lady Owls and lined a shot into the net.
 
After the break, OIT held a 5-1 edge in total shots – finally breaking through with 14 minutes remaining, as Brianna Lewis played a cross to the corner of the 6-yard box, with Raeah Raymondo lacing a sitter into the left corner of the goal.
 
Tech had one chance inside the final 10 minutes draw even, but a Caitlyn Price 20-yard strike missed wide of the target.
 
The Mustangs finished with an 11-10 edge in shots and took all six corner kicks. OIT keeper Sydni Nakamura kept the Owls in the game, making a season-high seven saves.
 
"We have to show the fight and grit earlier in games," Moore said. "That won't work when we get to conference play. We'll use Saturday (at Hope International) as a barometer of where exactly we are at."
 
OIT closes out their California trip on Saturday afternoon with a match-up at No. 11-ranked Hope International.