VANCOUVER, Wash. — Despite a commanding second-half push and a season-high number of corner opportunities, the Clark College women's soccer team came up just short in a 1–0 loss to visiting Highline on Saturday afternoon at Kim Christensen Field.
Highline's lone goal came in the 28th minute when Mia Mendoza converted a penalty kick to give the Thunderbirds a 1–0 advantage that held the rest of the way.
Clark (3-2-2 NWAC South) outshot Highline 12–13 overall but created eight shots on goal and 10 corner kicks—six of which came in the second half—as the Penguins pressed hard for the equalizer.
Freshman goalkeeper Ella Lulich anchored Clark's defensive effort with six saves, four of them in the opening half to keep the Penguins within striking distance. On the offensive side, Madeline Johnson paced Clark with four shots, including three on target, while Bella Rodriguez added four attempts of her own and remained a constant threat in the attacking third. Isabel McCauley also provided energy in the midfield with three shots, two of them on goal.
The Penguins nearly broke through late, with McCauley hitting the crossbar in the 73rd minute and Johnson forcing another save in the closing minutes.
Clark will look to build on the strong showing when they return to conference action next week on the road, continuing their push up the NWAC South standings.
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