TULSA, Okla. - The IUPUI women's soccer team opened the second half of Summit League play with a 2-1 loss at Oral Roberts on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 19). After a scoreless first half, the Jaguars yielded a pair of ORU goals in the game's 55th minute and was unable to come from behind in the one-goal loss. 

Junior Kalli Shepler-Tucker provided the Jaguars' their only offense with a free kick in the 85th minute. 

"We had some adversity this weekend with not having Cat Schmidt and Grace Perkowitz was out sick," IUPUI Head Coach Chris Johnson said. "On top of that, Nicole (Kulovitz) was sick, so that was not exactly a great start to the weekend. 

"Give (ORU) credit, they were hungry. They took us out of our gameplan and tried to play physical with us and we just didn't respond like we needed to. We need to continue to grow as a team and learn from it. In conference games, nothing is given to you. To be successful, you have to go out and take care of the things you can control and we didn't do that today."

With Schmidt sidelined due to injury, Nicole Kulovitz made her seventh start of the year in goal. ORU (2-7-3, 1-2 Summit) struck first against Kulovitz, scoring the game's first goal in the 55th minute on an Ashley Martin penalty kick. It was the seventh PK attempt allowed by the Jaguars this season and fifth of which has been successful. 

Martin tallied again just 31 seconds later on a drive from the left side of the box, set up by Maria Stordahl. 

The two goals would be enough, although the Jaguars finally got on the board with just more than five minutes left in the match. Shepler-Tucker netted her first goal of the year on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box, beating ORU goalie Helen Erb. It was the New Palestine, Ind.-native's third career score.

Erb finished with four saves in the win while Kulovitz made six stops in the defeat. 

Lexi Jones led ORU with five shots off the bench while Shepler-Tucker had a team-high four shots, putting three on frame. 

"I thought Kalli had a good game out there, as did Lauren Kulaga," Johnson said. "Tori (Minnich) worked hard and had some chances, but was just unlucky a couple times today."

IUPUI dropped to 4-9-3 overall and 2-3 in The Summit League but are set to cap the regular season with a three-game homestand, all against league foes. The homestand will open against Western Illinois on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 1:00 p.m. at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium. The match is free of charge although standard university parking rates will apply. In addition, the Jaguars are expected to wear pink socks as part of the ongoing Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative.