STEUBENVILLE, Oh.—In the face of strong winds and several team injuries, Franciscan University women's soccer played Penn. St.-Behrend tougher than the score suggested but lost in the end 7-1. The home match was the team's first conference game of the season.

"This is probably the best team in the conference, and while we were happy to play them first to get a feel for where we need to be, we can humbly say that we were outplayed today," head coach Johann Marin said "The girls played to the end though and it was an honor to take them through."

The team was suffering from several injuries over the past few weeks, which has greatly affected the Lady Baron lineup.

"It is difficult to play against a team that's fully functioning when we're not 100%," Marin said.

The game did, however, mark the return of starting midfielder Julia Cocozza from and ankle injury that has kept her out all season.

"It was great to have Julia back," Marin said, "Calene Dougherty, Ashley Ruttencutter, and Katherine Roemer also played well, but really, the girls play as a team, with strong effort across the board."

One bright spot for the Lady Baron offense was the goal by Steubenville's own Jordan Byrley early in the second half, which served to bring the team fresh hope and increase their efforts.

"That goal was the result of consistent hard work finally paying off," Marin said, "Jordan has been in position several times before but unable to convert, so it was great to see her score today."

Ultimately, Marin stated that he was proud of the girls for "sticking to the system" and continuing to keep their formation shape on the field, something the team has been focusing on throughout the season and which has paid off in the form of smooth offense to defense transitions and increased communication.

"Other teams recognize that they're playing an organized team when they play us," Marin said. "And that's important."

Looking for a victory in the upcoming game against the University of Pitt-Greensburg, Marin said that the team hopes to take a more aggressive standpoint with an increased number of attacks.

The Lady Barons will next travel to Greensburg on Tuesday, September 25th. The game is scheduled to start at 2pm.