DENVER, Colo. – A late goal by Columbia in the second half tied the match at 1-1, but Denver scored the game-winner two minutes later in non-conference women's soccer action today in Colorado, topping the Lions, 2-1.
 
With the loss, the Lions now sit at 2-1-1 in 2018, with a pair of redemption matches ahead next weekend.
 
In the first half of action on a sunny day in Denver, neither team was able to break through. Emma Anderson sent a shot above the cross bar in the 10th minute, before an attempt by Rachel Alexander was saved in the 38th minute. Denver's best look came in the 28th minute, but Sophie Whitehouse was there for the save, keeping the match scoreless.
 
With the game still scoreless in the 61st, the Pioneers were awarded a penalty kick off a foul in the box by Sam Slusher. Denver sophomore Meg Halvorson got her team on the board, netting the first goal of the match.
 
Six minutes after the Denver score, the Lions had an attempt blocked off the foot of Mallaika Tomar, keeping it at a 1-0 lead for the home team. Shortly thereafter, the Pioneers came close to making it a 2-0 match with a strike near the 18 from Halvorson, but the attempt hit the corner of the crossbar, keeping the lead at one.
 
Columbia finally was able to get on the board in the 84th minute, thanks to some excellent teamwork. In front of the box, Emily Koe connected with Cayla Davis, who one-touched ahead to Emma Anderson. Without a defender in front of her, the senior forward used her left foot to put a shot off the right post and into the back of the net, making the match tied, 1-1.
 
Just over a minute after the Anderson goal, the Pioneers were able to once again take the lead. Holverson looked like she was about to strike from the left side, but instead found Hannah Adler right in front of the net and a high shot was able to beat Sophie Whitehouse for what would end up being the game-winner.
 
The Pioneers out-shot the Lions, 10-6, with four of those attempts on goal, as the Lions had three. Whitehouse tallied a pair of saves on the afternoon, with two goals against.
 
With her second goal of the season, Anderson moved into a tie for sixth on the Columbia all-time goals list with 22. Koe and Davis had their first assists of the season on the Anderson goal.
 
Columbia is back in action next weekend, traveling to Sacred Heart for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Friday, before hosting Rider at 1:00 p.m. Sunday on ESPN+.