ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Golden Bears soccer team (2-5-3, 2-2-3 NSIC) lost a very competitive matchup to Augustana (7-3-1, 6-1-1 NSIC) Friday night at Sea Foam Stadium by a score of 2-0.  

"We struggled in the final third, defensively we were solid, but we didn't create enough chances and the chances we did create we did not finish them, so we are disappointed. It's a tough loss but hopefully we will bounce back on Sunday and score some goals." Head coach Steve Bellis said following the loss.

In a very close and well balanced first half the Golden Bears and Vikings were tied at zero with just over eight minutes left to play before intermission when Augustana was awarded a free kick.
 
Brooke Bleeker kicked the ball low and it was Julie Plonsky who would get a foot on the ball, which would lob over Nelson's head into the net, giving Augustana a 1-0 lead going into the half.
 
The Golden Bears would manage to get a couple shots on goal in the first half but were unable to beat Taylor Machacek. Augustana would outshoot Concordia 7-5 in the first 45 minutes of play.
 
Coming out in the second half, both teams kept up the intensity, and Concordia had multiple opportunities to tie the game but in the 63rd minute of the game, Samantha Schorzman would receive a nice pass from Grace Behm and find the back of the net for her first goal of the season giving Augustana a 2-0 lead.
 
Both teams combined for 31 shots on the evening, 16-15 in favor of the Vikings.
 
From there, the Golden Bears tried to cut into the Vikings lead but were unable to get anything past Machacek all night.
 
Despite taking the loss, Emily Nelson did make five great saves on the night and allowed her first goal after a streak of 289 consecutive minutes of not allowing a goal.
 
Katri Gifford led the Concordia with five shot attempts on the night, while Brooke Salo and Leah Johnson each added a pair of shots. Kallie Nordberg led Augustana with five shots on the night and Rebecca Gasper added two shots, while multiple players each attempted one shot for the Vikings.
 
Machacek made three saves on the night and has now recorded four shutouts this season. With the win tonight, she tied the Augustana program record for most wins in a career with 26.
 
Concordia is now 2-8-1 all-time against Augustana not having beaten the Vikings since 2012 at Sea Foam Stadium by a score of 2-1.
 
The Golden Bears will now travel to Wayne State on Sunday for a 1 p.m. matchup against the Wildcats.