Williamsburg, Ky. - The Marian women's soccer team took their first defeat on Saturday afternoon, as top-ranked and defending NAIA National Champion University of the Cumberlands handed the Knights a 4-1 loss. Marian slides to 2-1 on the season following the road defeat.

The Patriots started the game with an aggressive attack, putting up two shot attempts in the first 10 minutes of the match. In the 15th minute of the match, a pair of goals would find the back of the net, with Marian falling behind for the first time in the 2024 season as a defended ball rolled past Mychaela Johnson for an own goal. 31 seconds after the blunder, Layla Brown continued her dominant offensive start to her final collegiate season, rapidly attacking the Cumberlands defense with an unassisted goal, as her fifth score of the season tied the match 1-1.

Marian would begin to take control of possession as the first half wore on, with Katie Koger and Brown taking shot attempts within five minutes of the tying goal. Marian was rewarded four corner kicks in the final 30 minutes of the first half, but were unable to get a successful set piece to score, with shots from Koger and Olivia Parmer missing the netting. 

The score remained 1-1 at the break, with Marian leading 5-4 in shot attempts, but the second half would not feature the same rhythm as the University of the Cumberlands ramped up their offense. Marian was out-shot 12-0 in the second half, as the Patriots commanded possession and tempo, firing three shots in the first six minutes of play. The Patriots earned a pair of corners in their strong start, and in the 53rd minute the eventual game winning goal was scored by Jayden Boelter, who beat Johnson for the go-ahead goal. 

The Knights played strong defense after allowing the goal, doing all they could to slow the Cumberlands offense as more than a handful of shots and corner kicks were peppered toward the net. In the 75th minute, Boelter was able to add insurance to the Patriots lead, as Johnson would allow her third goal of the contest. In the 80th minute, Johnson would exit the game after suffering an injury trying to defend a header from the Cumberlands striker, bringing on Lily Ames for the final 10 minutes of play. Ames would allow a goal to Boelter with 89 seconds remaining, as the final goal of the game ended the scoring in the 4-1 defeat.

Johnson suffered the loss in goal moving to 2-1 on the season, making two saves while allowing three goals. Brown and Koger each took a pair of shot attempts, with Brown scoring the team's lone goal of the afternoon. Ames allowed one goal in her season debut, logging just under 10 minutes of reserve keeper action.

The Knights will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday night, when they return home to host Holy Cross College at 5:30 p.m.

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