Columbia, Mo. – Columbia College women's soccer team kicked off their 2019 campaign when they played host to the 7^th ranked Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College RedHawks in a nonconference matchup. The Cougars were defeated by the RedHawks by a final score of 2-0 and fall to 0-1 on the season.
 
Columbia College and Martin Methodist started the first half evenly matched as neither team was able to find the back of the net. The Cougars found their rhythm as they had control of the ball for the majority of the first half, but the RedHawks were able to keep up with them defensively. Columbia had two shots-on-goal heading into the halftime break.
 
Victoria Heus made her debut in goal for the Cougars and had a great diving save just eight minutes into the second half followed by another save to keep the Redhawks from finding the back of the net. Martin Methodist took advantage of a one-on-one opportunity against the Columbia keeper to give them the 1-0 lead. The RedHawks got called for a foul inside the Cougar box to draw the penalty kick. Emma Laney's shot was read off her foot and the Martin Methodist keeper knocked it just wide.
The RedHawks knocked in an insurance goal in the 85^th minute off a penalty kick. Heus was able to get a hand on the ball, but it deflected and made its way to the back of the net to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season.
 
Heus played all 90 minutes in goal for Columbia, picking up six saves in the contest.
 
The women's soccer team is back in action on Wednesday, August 28^th as they travel to Bellevue University (Neb.) Bruins in a nonconference matchup, start at 5 p.m.