Fresh off of two consecutive victories, the Colgate women’s soccer team traveled to Buffalo, NY last Sunday afternoon to take on the Canisius Golden Griffins. Lady Luck did not smile on the Raiders, however, as they lost a heartbreaker in double overtime by a 2-1 score. First-year midfielder Christy Patterson scored her first intercollegiate goal that day and sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Walsh stopped five out of seven shots faced throughout the game. Colgate dropped to 3-7 on the season.

“It was really fun scoring my first goal as a Raider,” Patterson said. “It felt pretty cool and it is a feeling I’d definitely like to experience again.”

In the first half, the Raiders started strong, dictating play and creating scoring opportunities, yet found themselves unable to figure out Canisius’ senior goalkeeper Lesley Ivinac. As the half continued, the Golden Griffins recovered and the game became a battle in the midfield. Although both teams managed to get chances at goal, they found their efforts snubbed by Ivinac and Walsh. After the first 45 minutes, the scoreboard remained intact.

At the beginning of the second frame, ‘Gate once again took the initiative on offense, but came out empty-handed. The match would not remain scoreless for long, as Canisius drew first blood 15 minutes into the half when junior midfielder Kelly Reinwald scored her seventh goal of the season.

The Raiders’ hard work would be rewarded soon after, when Patterson ended Ivinac’s shutout bid on an unassisted effort, 69 minutes in. Those would be the only two goals in the 90 minutes of regulation, thus forcing the golden goal overtime.

Colgate once again dominated the play in the first extra session, yet neither team was able to accomplish anything during the 15 minute overtime, which meant that play would be extended. Not long into the second overtime, Canisius took advantage of an exhausted Raider squad when Laura Ellis scored in the 110th minute of play to hand Colgate a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat.

“We outshot Canisius by a ton [31-18], but I think we could have done a better job capitalizing on our chances had we put more of our shots on frame,” Patterson said. “I think we are heading in the right direction as we get set to play Navy on Friday.”

This coming weekend, Colgate will return to the friendly confines of Van Doren Field. The Raiders will open Patriot League play under the lights as they host Navy

Friday night. Last year, ‘Gate went 1-0-1 against the Midshipmen, earning a scoreless draw in Annapolis during the regular season and defeating them 1-0 in the Patriot League Tournament semifinal.

Two days later, Ivy League and Central New York foe Cornell will grace Van Doren Field with its presence for an afternoon tilt. Against the Big Red in 2009, the Raiders fell 2-0.

“One thing that we will be focusing on a lot in the next few days is our mentality,” Patterson said. “In order for us to find success in the Patriot League we need to be able to go in harder for tackles. I think Navy will be a great game to kick off league play, and I know we are all pretty excited to play them on our home field, under the lights, during homecoming weekend.”

Friday’s game is slated to begin at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.