COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - In a closely contested road game that never had more than 2-goal margin, Concordia-St. Paul (2-4) fell short 8-7 in its first road contest of 2024 to the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (2-1) at Mountain Lion Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Concordia held three different 2-goal leads, 3-1 (0:41, 1st), 4-2 (5:53, 2nd), and 5-3 (0:18, 2nd) and never trailed until the final two minutes of play. UCCS forced four ties, though, keeping the game close throughout on its home field, with ties at 1-1 (6:36, 1st), 5-5 (9:26, 3rd), 6-6 (12:35, 4th), and 7-7 (2:28, 4th).

Concordia's Susie Monson broke the 6-6 tie three and a half minutes later with her 13th goal of the year with just over nine minutes to play.

From there, the teams played scoreless ball for six and a half minutes when UCCS forced its fifth tie on Julie Patrick's second goal of the game with 2:28 to play.

She made it a hat trick just 30 seconds later for the Mountain Lions' first lead.

CSP's Kennedy Bolander won the corresponding draw, establishing possession for the Golden Bears, but Hailey Hartlage's game-tying shot with 50 seconds to play was saved by Madison McGriff, who then held possession with the ground ball pickup. UCCS converted the clear to put the game away.

Cayla Jungwirth led Concordia's attack with a three-point game, scoring twice and assisting once while Monson had a pair of goals to go with five draw controls.

Three Golden Bears had a pair of caused turnovers led by defenders Claire Flahaven and Anna Palony, who each added three and four ground balls, respectively, and Hartlage, who added three ground balls along with a goal.

Jenna Hamann led the team with six ground balls, also scoring once.

Goalie Marge Lucio had six saves in a tough luck loss in the cage, adding five ground balls.

Concordia had 32 ground balls, its seventh-most in a game in program history as Concordia falls to 2-1 against UCCS in three meetings, all since 2020.

The Mountain Lions were led by Patrick's four points on three goals and an assist including the game-tying and game-winning goals, while Sarah Urbanic added four points on three goals and an assist, as well. McGriff locked down the cage with 13 saves including six in the fourth quarter.

Concordia will remain in Colorado Springs for a contest on Friday against Fort Lewis, scheduled for a 1 p.m. central start time at Mountain Lion Stadium.