COLUMBIA, Mo. - Grace's women's soccer team concluded its road trip to Missouri with a high-profile matchup at No. 18 Columbia.

The No. 17 Lady Lancers outshot Columbia by six, however it was the Cougars who ended up winning 2-1 on Saturday.

The Cougars were aggressive to begin the match, firing off three shots across the first six minutes.

Grace countered with four shots over the next several minutes, including attempts by Lilli Oberhoff and Marlene Menzel a few minutes apart that were saved.

The Cougars jumped on the scoreboard first midway into the opening half. Columbia sliced a high shot that found the back of the net.

Things went from bad to worse for Grace seven minutes later when Columbia took advantage to score again, doubling its lead.

Grace struggled to find looks at goal in response, taking one shot over the final 10 minutes of the first half.

The second half was a different story altogether. The Lady Lancers outshot the Cougars 10-1 over the final 45 minutes, nearly completing the comeback on the road.

In the 60th minute, a header by Menzel looked sure to score but hit off the goalpost. She would not have to wait long for another chance.

Less than 10 minutes later, after another flurry of Grace chances, Menzel played a dangerous ball that found the back of the net in the 70th minute, setting the stage for a frenetic final 20 minutes.

The Cougars did their best to withstand Grace's attack; the Lady Lancers fired off shots from JJ Aalbue, Danae Moriarty and Menzel, but Grace was unable to find an equalizer and had to settle for the defeat.

For the game, Grace outshot Columbia 16-11; Menzel and Aalbue had five shots apiece, nearly equalizing the Cougars' output.

Libby Stratton notched four saves in goal for Grace, Moriarty shot three times, and Kailey Burrell shot twice.

"At the start of the match we needed to have more quality for more of the time. We had quality in sections, but we needed to respond positively to opposition. Even with our poor start, we still created opportunities to finish. Unfortunately we had two lapses that led to goals," said Grace head coach Michael Voss. "The crew showed much resolve to take over the game in the second half, which increased our quality and generated multiple scoring chances. We moved the ball decently, eliminated any danger but failed to convert the chances that we created. We learned that we can battle when needed, and we can play good futbol in difficult scenarios."

The Lady Lancers will begin Crossroads League play next week, beginning with a road matchup at No. 4 Marian on Saturday.