(SAN DIEGO) Two long-range efforts from Olivia Shaw and Emma Rogers were enough to earn No. 22 PLNU Women's Soccer a 2-1 season-opening victory over visiting Cal State San Marcos on Saturday afternoon.
 
"We'll always take the win no matter what it looks like," PLNU Head Coach Kristi Kiely said. "It maybe wasn't our best today and we have some things to learn from but that's the great part about the beginning of the season is there's still a lot to learn. We'll take from this and look forward to next week's match."
 
Shaw's rocket from 25 yards out flew over the head of the opposing goalkeeper and put the Sea Lions on the board in the 18th minute with her second-career Sea Lion goal. Lauren O'Malley was credited with an assist.
 
"I think it was really important, especially in a game where maybe it was against the run of play a bit," Kiely said of the goal. "I thought San Marcos was on top of us to start. Well done to our girls for taking the opportunity, kind of making something out of nothing and Liv did a great job of that.
 
"It was an incredible finish and that put us in a spot where we could play how we were hoping to start the game. That goal gave us a bit of peace and reassurance and calmed us down a bit."
 
Shaw's goal helped the Sea Lions regain control of the game, during which they claimed 64% of the possession, until an unfortunate ricochet in the box bounced straight to the feet of a Cal State San Marcos player to equalize in the 61st minute.
 
Point Loma desperately searched to find a go-ahead goal, with Bethany Arabe looking lively in the forward line for the Sea Lions. Both Arabe and Alana Diaz forced saves out of the Cougar goalkeeper in the second half, but the game appeared to be heading toward a 1-1 draw as precious time ticked away.
 
That was until Rogers stepped up in her first collegiate game.
 
Arabe got past her defender and had her cross from the right byline headed away to the top of the box, where an oncoming Rogers was waiting to strike a ball on frame and find the seemingly elusive winner Point Loma had been looking for.
 
"It felt very surreal, especially in our first preseason game," Rogers said of the goal and the support of her teammates. "It was really nice to have everyone around me. These girls are so awesome. It just felt natural."
 
Kiely added: "She certainly took it really well but I'd also like to give credit to our front group that just kept running at them over and over to create opportunities. Credit to her composure to strike that well and to give it a chance. Her job was to keep it on frame and she did that. The moment wasn't too big for her which is always fun to see from a young player."
 
Another young player, freshman goalkeeper Julia Pinnell, made two saves in goal to earn her first collegiate victory.
 
Point Loma now hits the road to play at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
 
"We need to be sharper than we were today to be able to compete in our preseason," Kiely said. "This is the hardest preseason schedule that we've ever had, which is really exciting, and we have to be up for it in all ways – competing, how we are on the ball, our appetite to be on the ball. We have to figure out as a group how to be a little bit sharper."