ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - Eastern Women's Soccer opened its 2022 season against Ursinus College at Olson Field on Thursday afternoon. A late first-half goal by the visitors proved to be the difference as the Eagles dropped their home opener to the Bears by a score of 1-0. Ursinus outshot Eastern 16-3 in the contest, and the Eagles were unable to generate much offense until the second half.

Ursinus held the advantage in both possession and field position in the first half. The Bears created several offensive chances and finished with eight shots to Eastern's zero. While most of the shots came from outside of the box, a late chance broke the scoreless tie. In the 41st minute, a shot by Ursinus' Olivia Losurdo curled into the top left corner of the net, which gave the Bears a 1-0 lead.

The Bears kept up the pressure in the second half with eight more shots, but Eastern began to create more offensive pressure in the matches' final stages. A shot by junior defender Jessica Burg went just wide in the 75th minute, and another chance by Jenna Linstra off an Eastern corner was blocked in front of the net. Sophomore midfielder Gianna Festino served up the Eagles' best chance in the final minute, but the shot was saved to secure the win for the Bears.

"Not the result that the team wanted, but we are happy with the heart and effort that they showed in the second half," Eastern Head Coach Jess Shanahan said. "Especially at the end and in those last 5-10 minutes."

First-year goalkeeper Brooke Moskey put together a strong debut in net for the Eagles. The Kennett Square native made seven total saves, which included four in the second half, and made several strong stops in the final 45 minutes.

"I am confident this team has a lot more to show, and I know they can reach higher level," Shanahan said. "We are not close to our peak but we'll get there."

Eastern will hit the road for a pair of contests, beginning at Goucher College on Saturday, Sept. 3. The contest is set to begin at 11 AM.