TROY, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam women’s soccer team suffered a tough loss in the final minutes at the hands of Sage College. The loss ends the Bears (3-1-2) streak of five straight matches without a loss.

Potsdam would gain the upper hand in the first half with a little help from Sage. The Bears put the hosts in a difficult position with aggressive play and the result was the Gators kicking the ball into their own net. Sophomore forward Ashley Thayer (Winthrop, N.Y./St. Lawrence) sent a dangerous crossing pass in front of the net that put the Sage defenders on their heels and led to the miscue. That lead would hold up to the half but Sage (4-1) would battle back. They would strike 25 minutes into the second half to tie the score on a free kick from the top of the box by Rebecca Doble. The game-winner was scored with only 2:36 remaining on a scramble in front of senior goalkeeper Dedra Palmer (Whitesboro, N.Y. / Whitesboro) who recorded five saves. The loss was frustrating for the Bears but head coach Mark Misiak found positives in the performance.

“This was our best performance of the year from top to bottom,” said Misiak. “We didn’t deserve the result we had today and if we can keep playing like this we will win more games than we lose.”

The Bears will host Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC opener on Saturday at 1 p.m. on the turf at Maxcy Hall.