GAFNEY, S.C. – A first half goal off a deflection and stellar keeper play was all the hosts needed to send the UNC Pembroke women's soccer team home with a tally in the loss column, as Limestone grabbed a 1-0 victory Saturday night at Saints Field. 

The Braves (0-1-0) fired 15 shots at Limestone's (1-0-0) freshman goalkeeper, five more than her UNCP counterparts faced, but Karen An Der Brugge stood tall, saving all six Black & Gold shots on goal. 

The Saints scored the match's lone goal in the 34th minute, a shot that snuck past Courtney Almon into the bottom right corner after a deflection in the box. 

"We came out a bit flat in the first half and they scored a quality goal," head coach Lars Andersson said. 

But Andersson still took some positives from the contest. 

"The second half was a different story," he said. "We played very well and created enough chances to score two or three goals. I am proud of our effort and saw some very positive things in the second half. We just need to be more efficient in the final third. It's a long seaosn and although I'm disappointed we lost tonight, I feel very good about going forward from here."

Mackenzie Wright put a team-high four shots on goal for the Braves in 71 minutes, while Courtney Crump struck two balls on net. Freshman goalkeeper Gina Ryan made her collegiate debut in the second half, shutting out Limestone for 45 minutes, saving all three shots that came her way. 

The Black & Gold will look for the season's first victory Wednesday when they travel to Mount Olive (0-1-0). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Amon Field. The Braves have won eight of the 10 all-time meetings with the Trojans and the teams have tied once.