Governors State women’s soccer dropped a close 2–1 contest Friday at home against Judson (IL), despite a strong defensive effort and several excellent scoring opportunities.
The Jaguars opened the match with early energy, breaking through in the 23rd minute when Araceli Romero-Molina found the back of the net off an assist from Jozie Richert. The Eagles equalized before halftime with an unassisted strike from Jinni Jimenez, sending the match into the break level at 1–1.
Both sides battled through a tense second half, but Judson capitalized in the 86th minute when Liza Von Blumenthal converted a feed from Romero-Molina to take the lead. GovState pressed for an equalizer, recording 10 shots overall, eight of them on goal, but couldn’t find the finishing touch.
Goalkeeper Valentina Jimenez anchored the GovState defense with 10 saves on 12 shots faced. At the same time, defenders Victoria Salas, Ashley Ruiz, and Elena Popovic helped keep the Eagles’ attack contained for much of the match.
Romero-Molina led the Jaguars offensively with four shots and one goal, while Richert and Jimenez each added critical plays in the buildup.
The Jaguars will look to bounce back as they return to conference play next week, facing St. Ambrose (IA) on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Sportsplex in Crown Point, Ind.