DENVER, Colo – In the first match of the 2021 season, the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team fell 3-0 to Metro State University-Denver at the Assembly Complex on Thursday night.
 
The Lions are now 0-1 in the season, while the Roadrunners start the season 1-0.
 
The Roadrunners jumped out to the early lead thanks to a goal by Katy Leads, 10 minutes into the match. Elisa Dean added another goal for the Roadrunners in the first half to take a 2-0 lead at halftime.
 
A&M-Commerce had three shots in the first half. Two came from Melissa Storrey (Tyne and Wear, England), who came off the bench and one from Kara Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.).
 
The Lions' Jen Peters (Allen) started the match in net. She surrendered two goals on six shots. Lauren Banning (Pflugerville) came in relief at halftime.
 
MSU-Denver quickly put another ball in the back of the net in the second half on another goal by Dean. In the match, she scored two goals on five shots, which was the match-high for either team.
 
The Roadrunners goalkeeper Kayla Caballero made three saves, playing the whole match. Karalie Morrison (Colleyville Heritage) had two of the shots on goal, Savanna Puccio (Plano – Plano Academy) had the other.
 
Banning faced eight shots in the second half, she had two saves. Peters had two saves as well in the first half.
 
For the Lions, Karalie Morrison (North Richland Hills – Colleyville Heritage) led the team with four shots, all coming in the second half. Five players off the bench recorded shots.
 
Freshmen Sarah Tate (Burleson – Centennial), Morrison, Kaitlyn Valaitis (Rowlett – Sachse), Lydia Myers (Colbert, Wash.), McKenna Keeley (Frisco – Memorial) started in their first career matches.
 
Puccio, Hailey Griffin (Trophy Club – Byron Nelson) and Jadyn Lopez (Northlake – Byron Nelson) came off the bench in their first collegiate matches.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce stays in Colorado and takes on UC-Colorado Springs on Sunday. Kickoff for the match is scheduled to be 1 p.m. Central Time.