ARCATA, Calif. – Humboldt State women's soccer returned to the friendly confines of College Creek Field, but didn't get the result they hoped for in Wednesday afternoon's 2-0 loss to Sonoma State.
 
Lumberjack keeper Katelin Talbert, despite allowing the two goals, recorded eight saves in the conference match, as the Seawolves registered an impressive 20 shots, 10 on goal.
 
"The majority of them were very routine saves for her," said HSU Head Coach Paul Karver. "That was a credit to our back line and what we knew we would give them in the system we were playing. The formation and the game plan was that we were going to give them the opportunity to have those shots because we knew Katie would make those saves. The problem is that we were never able to build through the midfield, and if our midfield doesn't get it sorted out quickly, we're going to struggle."
 
Karver said the result definitely reinforced his belief that the CCAA is one of the toughest conferences in the country, and HSU's record in conference play is now 0-2-1 and 3-2-1 overall. He complimented Sonoma as being "well-coached, well-organized, and 100 percent in the mindset of what they want to get done."
 
Sonoma broke the ice at the 25:25 mark of the first half, as Cecilia Sifuentes struck with a header off a Kristal Luna corner kick. The Seawolves added an insurance goal at 76:35 when Talbert was unable to fully corral a Holle Depina shot, and Sara Van Wagoner slotted home the rebound.
 
Midfielder Alex Jenkins led the Jacks' attack, notching three shots, two on goal. HSU's offense applied more pressure as the game wore on, tallying five shots in the second half to its one in the first.
 
"I think we had some good chances and we just didn't do a good enough job capitalizing," said Karver. "And when you play teams in our conference you have to capitalize. You can't say, 'There will be another chance another day.' You have to make that chance count, and we didn't do a good enough job in the few chances we had of making them count."
 
HSU travels to Vallejo, where they will take on Embry-Riddle of Arizona Friday at 5 p.m. and Benedictine at Mesa, also of Arizona, at 11 a.m. on Sunday.