Flagstaff, Ariz. - Freshman Zoe Makrigiannis' 10 saves were a season-high by a Spartan goalkeeper, but San Jose State women's soccer was edged, 1-0, by Northern Arizona University (NAU) at the Hilton Garden Inn High Altitude Tournament.
"Today's game was a major bummer," Spartans head coach Jeff Leightman said. "I feel like we have been playing good soccer here and there. We kept and moved the ball around more. We had the ball for most of the game and we had tons of chances, but we are not doing well in the critical moments."
The game's lone goal was scored at the 57-minute mark by Lumberjack Malia Tano off of a pass from Demi Schmieder.
Junior Megan Molina and sophomore Kacey Gricius led San Jose State (2-6-1) with two shots each. The team generated nine shots, four of which were on goal.
NAU (2-5-2) goalkeepers Natalie Gilbertson and Lauren Weaver combined for four saves.
Despite San Jose State's 0-2 record at the Hilton Garden Inn High Altitude Tournament, Leightman commented on the what his team can take away from the weekend. "Playing at this tournament lets us know that we can play at altitude. I do not think that the altitude was a factor at all. Knowing this will help when we go to Denver (on September 28), New Mexico State (on September 30), and Utah State (October 19).
"I do not think that we lost because we were fatigued," Leightman said. "Soccer is a crazy game and there is such a slim margin for error. We need to refocus for Denver because now that conference play begins in two weeks, we are back to being 0-0. We cannot carry our losses forward."
San Jose State returns to action on Friday, September 28, when they open Western Athletic Conference play at Denver.