JOLIET – University of St. Francis battled No. 21-ranked Robert Morris University down to the wire but dropped a 2-1 decision to the Eagles in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's soccer match Wednesday night at ATI Field at Joliet Memorial Stadium.

The game was restarted from the beginning on Wednesday after Tuesday night's scheduled match was stopped after 33 minutes and declared a no contest due to lightning in the area.

RMU (12-4-1, 6-3) never trailed but never held more than a one-goal margin over the Saints (8-9, 3-6) who were playing their final home game of the 2011 season.

Neither team scored in the first half and the game remained scoreless until the 66^th minute when RMU's Florence Dadson connected off an assist by Samira Suleman. 

The Saints came back to tie the match in the 78^th minute when former Lake Central (Ind.) High School teammates Brooke Polus (Lake Central H.S./Crown Point, IN) and Kaley Marcinak (Lake Central H.S./Schererville, IN) combined for the Saints' lone goal of the night. Polus was credited with the goal after she headed in a pass from Marcinak. It was the team-leading 12^th goal of the season for Polus.

RMU notched the game-winning goal with less than two minutes remaining when Suleman connected on a rebound of her own missed shot that hit the goal post.

Junior Amber Zukowski (Andrew H.S./Tinley Park, IL) played her fourth game in goal for the injured Danielle DeMent (Mount Assisi Academy/Lemont, IL) and allowed just the two goals with seven saves. Polus registered four of USF's six shots on goal with sophomore midfielder Ashley Sikyta (Normal Community H.S./Normal, IL) getting the other two.

The game marked the final home contest for USF seniors Erin Voss (Nazareth Academy/Elmhurst, IL), Regina Melone (Lockport H.S./Orland Park, IL) and Natalia Naumoff (Triton College/Elmwood Park, IL).

"I am so proud of our players tonight," USF fourth-year head coach John Nikchevich said following the game. "They did everything they needed to do to win. Sometimes the result just doesn't show how well your team performs and tonight the final score doesn't do this team justice.  

"Amber again played huge for us in the net," Nikchevich continued. "I have never seen someone step in like she has for this last handful of games.

"Our threes seniors played great tonight," Nikchevich added. "I am so happy to see Erin play a solid and complete game. She and I have been together six years and tonight she showed me the player she has become.

"Reggie was one of my first players to sign on to help build this program and she played 90 great minutes tonight. She and Erin were here four years ago and they walked off the field knowing the gains this program has made.

"Natalia came in as a transfer and embraced our program like she has been here her whole career. She loves the game of soccer and played so well tonight.

"We may have lost by a goal but these USF soccer players were all winners tonight."

USF concludes its regular season on Saturday with a noon game at CCAC foe Trinity International University in Deerfield. The Saints must defeat the Trojans in order to secure the seventh and final playoff bid for the CCAC postseason tournament.