LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State women's soccer team dropped a 3-2 decision at Abilene Christian on Sunday afternoon after nearly coming back from a 3-0 deficit in a game that featured a one-hour, 45-minute weather delay.
 
"The factor of playing Friday night, traveling Saturday and then playing again on Sunday against a team that didn't play on Friday, they came out with a little bit more fight than us in the beginning," head coach Rob Baarts said. "The first two goals were saves and rebounds straight to a player that was unmarked kind of a mental, tired error."
 
The Wildcats (3-2) came out strong and tested freshman goalie Mia Montano who made five saves before Christina Arteaga scored off a rebound on a save in the 20^th minute.
 
Samantha Afonso almost leveled the game in the 23^rd minute but Rachel Johnson was there to make the save for ACU. Then, Abilene Christian pushed its lead to two after scoring on another rebound off a save, this time from Dylan Owens in the 24^th minute.
 
NM State (1-5) seemed to be headed for a two-goal halftime deficit but Ashley Stamps broke free from the Aggies' defense and netted the Wildcats' third goal of the night with just one second left in the half.
 
"The third goal was our long throw-in with about 30 seconds left and they countered and scored in the last second which was a real heartbreaker for our team because we were all over them at that point," said Baarts.
 
After the break, neither team was able to get any chances before the game was stopped for a lightening delay in the 51^st minute which lasted almost two hours.
 
Abilene Christian came out firing after the delay but Ashley Martin, who checked in for Montano at halftime, made a save in the 52^nd minute and shots in the 53^rd, 56^th and 57^th minutes went wide.
 
New Mexico State then had a few chances to cut into the lead but shots from Aileen Galicia and Kara Montilla were saved in the 59^th and 61^st minutes respectively while another Galicia shot was saved in the 64^th minute.
 
The Aggies finally broke through in the 64^th minute when Galicia scored her third goal of the season off a corner kick.
Afterwards, both team's defenses clamped down with neither side letting the other gain any momentum until the 82^nd minute when Emma Smith found the back of the net off an assist from Alexa Barrera for her first goal in the crimson and white to cut ACU's lead to 3-2.
 
However, NM State's comeback bid would fall short as it was unable to net an equalizer before time expired.
 
"After the rain delay, we came back out and changed how we played and got after them and scored and scored again and had another chance to score again and made it a game," added Baarts. "So I think it was a good learning experience for our team on how to travel and how to learn to win."
 
The Aggies were outshot 31-10 on the night while Montano made eight saves in the first half and Martin made five in the second.
 
New Mexico State is back in back action at home on Sunday, Sept. 9 when it hosts Boise State at 1 p.m. (MT). Fans unable to attend the match at the Soccer Athletic Complex can stream the game via the WAC Digital Network. As always, children 12 and under as well as students with a valid student ID receive free entry to all NM State home matches.