REDDING, Calif.  – The Beacons avoided the shutout with a penalty kick in the 89th minute but they still came up a little short on Friday afternoon, dropping a neutral-site game to William Jessup University, 2-1.
 
The Beacons were impressive throughout, finishing the afternoon with an 11-8 shot advantage. The team also held the Warriors without a corner kick, giving NCU an 18-1 advantage in the category through three games this season.
 
"We came away with a loss today, but we dominated play," said head coach Jessica Cardwell. "We controlled the tempo of the game, held possession, and fought hard for the full 90 minutes. It was so great to see us compete and fight back after an early goal. That was something we didn't do last year."
 
The Warriors put the ball into the back of the net in the 34th minute when Amber DeAnda scored off a pass from Isabel House. Then, in the 54th minute, Yvette Perez scored on a Penalty kick with what would amount to the game winner.
 
The Beacons closed out the scoring to avoid the shutout with just 115 seconds remaining as senior Amanda Hadsell buried the penalty kick.
 
Coach Cardwell said, "I am proud of our girls and the effort and teamwork we saw today. Despite being exhausted and run a little ragged, we stated strong and battled hard."
 
NCU will return to action on Thursday as they come home for a non-conference tilt with Willamette University. That game is slated for a 5 p.m. kickoff.