IRVINE, Calif. – A valiant performance by goalkeeper Lauren Spencer wasn't enough for Hawai'i Pacific University on Thursday as the Sharks fell in their PacWest Conference opener at Concordia Irvine 1-0 at Eagles Field this afternoon.
 
The Sharks (4-2, 0-1) fought off waves of shots by the Eagles (2-2-1, 1-0) before one got in in the 62nd minute.
 
"We battled hard today, but CUI was a good, quality opponent," said HPU head coach Gina Brewer. "The goal was on a nice ball in on a corner that we couldn't clear."
 
Concordia got the game's only score in the 62nd minute and after the Sharks had faced 20 shots in the game. The Eagles Cienah Reed sent a corner kick to the back post where Kara Gilchrist headed it for her first goal of the season.
 
That was the only shot to get by Spencer, a junior from Oxford, Mich./Oxford, who posted a career-high 14 saves on the Eagles 28 shots.
 
CUI's Kaelyn Whitcomb tallied four saves on the Sharks seven shots in the contest.
 
HPU continues its conference-opening road trip on Saturday at California Baptist. Kickoff is slated for 9:30 a.m. HST (12:30 p.m. PDT).