Box Score SAN FRANCISCO – A new sense of excitement and determination for success was felt amongst the Humboldt State women's soccer program since the start of the fall preseason.
 
The excitement was turned into a victorious opening road celebration on Thursday afternoon.
 
For the first time in almost a year, the Lumberjacks women's soccer squad road a pair of second half goals to power past the Academy of Art University, 3-1, to snap a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season's fourth match (Sept. 23).
 
"We have a lot of work to do but we pulled it out as the girls played hard," said the first-year HSU head coach Paul Karver.  "The defense has a lot of work still to do but it was a good way to start the year."
 
Pulled it out they did.
 
Tied at one apiece, HSU ran a set piece directed by Colette Behen (Petaluma, Calif.).  At 66:34 from the corner, the junior midfielder directed the ball to the far post where freshman Ariel Diehl (Tehachapi, Calif.) put it into the corner of the net from six yard away for a 2-1 lead.
 
HSU would not lose the advantage over the final 25 minutes.  In fact, two of the Jacks' returning starters teamed to ice the match with a final score. Junior Lizzie Mitchell (Petaluma, Calif.) crossed the ball from 15 yards away to Savannah Havranek (Aurora, Colo.), who hit it into the net from the center of the box, to take the margin and eventual final score of 3-1 at 84:25.
 
"We had more chances but didn't finish," added Karver.
 
Karver's crew jumped onto the 2013 scoreboard first against the Urban Knights. Striker Elle Reid (San Diego, Calif.) found the back of the net unassisted when she booted the ball in from 20 yards on the left side for the lone first half score.
 
The Jacks' offense three-goal outburst was a total the program had not reached in quite some time. HSU (1-0) posted three goals in a women's soccer match for the first time in 51 contests dating back to an identical 3-1 victory coming over Sonoma State on October 30, 2009.
 
"We scored three good goals against a very good Academy of Art program. They presented a number of problems for us but we were able to have a nice result," noted the HSU coach.
 
The Academy of Art (0-1) outshot its visitors by totals of 9-5 and 8-5 in the halves for a difference of 17-10. The home team, though, found the net only one time when Beth Barker took a through pass from Marley Sutter at the 55-minute mark to then tie the contest, 1-1, coming 10 minutes into half number two.
 
The HSU defense and sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Lukas (Yorba Linda, Calif.), who saved three shots for the net victory, were able to hold the home club to the single score, which was only accomplished two times a year ago.
 
The Jacks will have three days off before playing their second of four opening road contests. HSU will face Dominican University in San Rafael on Monday afternoon, Sept. 9, with a 12:30 p.m. kick-off.