MESA, Ariz. -- The Yavapai College women's soccer team was defeated 6-2 by the Mesa Community College Thunderbirds Tuesday night in Phoenix, Arizona. The Roughriders now sit at 2-3 on the season.

The Thunderbirds wasted no time in the contest and scored just four minutes into the game after a cross pass went through a defender followed by a shot past the Roughrider goalkeeper. 

With 15 minutes left to go in the first half, Mesa struck again with a score just outside the goal box after making a couple of defenders miss. Later in the half, the Thunderbirds ballooned their advantage to 3-0 with a breakaway strike. 

Down 3-0, the Roughriders found the back of the net with 2:15 to go in the first half on a corner-kick that was headed past the Thunderbird goalkeeper. Freshman forward AJ Jones took the corner kick and cashed in on the assist (her fourth of the season) while freshman defender Alondra Lares took home her first goal of the season. 

After going into halftime down 3-1, Yavapai saw Mesa put the game away with three goals in the first 12 minutes of the half, two of which were breakaway scores while the other was a long-distance free kick. 

With less than 30 seconds to play in the match, Jones caught a Mesa defender flat-footed, blew past her, corralled a loose ball and scored to bring the final score to 6-2 and her point-total to three on the day. Freshman defender Miriam Zabibu took home the assist on the play. 

Up Next
The Roughriders return to the soccer pitch Saturday at 9 a.m. against South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.