LUBBOCK, Texas – The MSU Denver women's soccer team had a tie ripped from the hands of victory Thursday night.
 
The Roadrunners gave up a goal with three seconds left and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Lubbock Christian (Texas).
 
"The girls are disappointed, and it's a feeling you don't want to recreate," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "You never want to have this feeling again. It's a hard lesson to learn."
 
MSU Denver seemed to have the victory secured, with the ball going out of bounds at the midfield line with 15 seconds to go.
 
But Lubbock Christian was able to quickly throw it in, then sent a long pass toward the box. The ball was deflected before the Roadrunners could get to it, and the ball merely landed at the feet of reigning national player of the week Lexi De La Cruz, 12 yards out and at the middle of the goal with no one in front of her.
 
"It's disappointing to go on the road and not lock up that win," Mertz said. "I thought we were the better team. We created more chances. We did a really good job of nullifying their best players, but give her credit because at the end of the day she's the one who scored."
 
The goal was Lubbock Christian's only shot on goal.
 
MSU Denver, still a highly-competitive 1-1-3, Roadrunners scored a well-executed goal in the 23^rd minute.
 
Sami Spring sent a long pass from midfield toward the left sideline to Meg Gonzalez, who moved it back to Brooklyn Gold towards the left side of the box. Gold took it into the box, then reversed course back and pushed it to Monica Yoder at the top of the box. Yoder passed to Kailey Maness on the right side, and Maness drove towards the right post before finding Yoder again in front. Yoder deposited her first goal of the season to the goalkeeper's right.
 
"Monica played it out wide, and then she got on the end of it," Mertz said. "We were getting numbers in the box and taking risks. A lot of it is confidence, and we're giving them the freedom to attack and be creative in the final third, to go have fun with combination plays. It only takes a half-chance."
 
The Roadrunners return home Saturday to play No. 9 Point Loma (Calif.) in a 6 p.m. matchup at the Assembly Athletic Complex. The Sea Lions lost 2-1 Thursday at unranked UCCS.
 
"We have a night to digest this and then tomorrow we need to be different," Mertz said. "We're going to see the best of Point Loma."