JOLIET - University of St. Francis hung tough for 90 minutes and kept the game scoreless for the first 57 minutes but finally fell to No. 15 Olivet Nazarene, 2-0, in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference game on Saturday afternoon at the Galowich YMCA.

USF (2-9-1, 2-2-1) played shorthanded as only 12 healthy players were able to suit up for the game. The latest missing in action was freshman defender Ann Zajda (Joliet Catholic Academy/Plainfield, IL) who had started all 11 previous games and is one of the Saints' top defenders.

The remaining cast performed valiantly, though, and played a scoreless first half against an Olivet Nazarene (12-1-1, 6-0-0) team that leads the CCAC. The Saints managed that scoreless first half despite being outshot 16-0 with 13 of the 13 shots being on goal and being saved by freshman goalkeeper Amber Zukowski (Andrew H.S./Tinley Park, IL). It was only the third game and second start in goal for Zukowski, who started the season's first 10 games as a midfielder and is one of the Saints' leading scorers with 5 goals. She was forced to move to goal when senior Ashley Kekelik (T.F. South H.S./Lansing, IL) suffered a mild concussion one week ago during a 1-1 tie at Saint Xavier. 

Zukowski finished the Olivet Nazarene game with 23 saves which tied the second-highest single-game total in school history.

ONU finally broke through 13 minutes into the second half with a goal by Meghan Pipal. The Tigers added their second goal eight minutes later on a shot by Jessica Jones.

USF managed just 4 shots on goal for the game and 5 shots in total. Sophomore forward Erin Voss (Nazareth Academy/Elmhurst, IL) accounted for 2 of the shots on goal, with freshmen Delaney Goddard (Romeoville H.S./Romeoville, IL) and Debbie Rios (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) getting the other two.

USF travels to Palos Heights for a Tuesday CCAC game versus Trinity Christian. Kickoff for that game has been moved up to 2:30 p.m.