FOLEY, Ala. — SCAD women's soccer showed grit and determination against one of the nation's top teams on Saturday, but an early deficit proved too much to overcome in a 2–1 loss to No. 2 William Carey at the Orange Beach Classic. 

The matchup between two top-10 teams opened with William Carey on the front foot. The Lady Crusaders struck first in the 18th minute when Karen Vilau finished off a pass from Boo Mills to put SCAD behind 1–0. Carey doubled the lead in the 36th minute as Lesley Vasquez converted another Mills assist, sending SCAD into halftime trailing 2–0. 

But the Bees refused to back down. Behind a composed backline and several key stops from goalkeeper Saga Bryntesson, SCAD settled into the game and began pushing forward after the break. Ida Åkesson and Cali Wuestefeld each tested the Carey defense with shots on target, and the Bees finally broke through in the 64th minute. Freshman forward Elsa Johansson, who entered off the bench, pounced on a loose ball inside the box and buried her chance to pull SCAD within one. 

With momentum shifting, SCAD continued to press in search of an equalizer. Åkesson fired two more attempts in the closing stages, and Emily Lau forced a save in the 70th minute. Despite the surge, Carey's defense held firm, and the Bees ran out of time before they could find the tying goal. 

SCAD finished with 12 shots, including five on goal, compared to 11 shots for Carey. Bryntesson registered six saves in the match to keep the Bees within striking distance. 

The loss drops SCAD to 3–2 on the season, coming just two days after the team's signature 2–0 win over No. 10 UT Southern. 

Even so, the Bees left Foley encouraged by their second-half response and the chance to measure themselves against the NAIA's elite. With conference play ahead, SCAD will look to build on the fight they showed against Carey and carry that energy into the next stretch of the season.