SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The University of La Verne women's soccer team fought hard against one of the best NCAA Division II teams in the country but fell short, 2-0, at No. 19 CSU San Bernardino on Thursday afternoon at Coyote Premier Field.

How it happened: The Leopards kept shape defensively all game and were able to pass the ball around to give themselves a chance on the counterattack.

However, CSUSB was able to utilize its speed up top to get behind the La Verne backline and create opportunities. Whenever the Coyotes got a hold of the ball in their half, the midfielders and the defenders played long balls up top to their forwards. The Coyotes came through in the 29^th minute when Ebony Squier was able to get in close on a feed from Kiersten Miller to put CSUSB up, 1-0.

La Verne did not panic. The Leopards stuck to their game plan, clamped down defensively and limited the Coyotes to just one shot the rest of the half.

The second half started out much the same way as the first half did. The Leopards were patient on the ball, organized defensively and Tatiana Raygoza fired the first shot of the half to force a save from CSUSB goalkeeper Emily Whyte.

But CSUSB added one more in the 60^th minute when Jasmine Williams received a ball from Paige Kang and found the back of the net. The Coyotes packed it in from that point on.

Player of the game: La Verne goalkeeper Delanie Pacheco anchored a solid defense all night long. In addition to making six saves, Pacheco helped the back line stay organized and stomp out most of the CSUSB attempts.

From head coach Lauryn Pehanich: "We played a very good team today and I liked the way we fought. We kept the ball, passed it around and were able to execute our game plan. The difference was their speed up front. They were able to play over the top and create chances."

What it means: Despite the loss, La Verne (1-2-0) will use the game as a learning experience as it gets ready for the SCIAC season starting next week.

Up next: The Leopards will host a very good UC Santa Cruz team who has already beaten a pair of SCIAC teams (Chapman, Whittier) on Saturday at 4 p.m.