FARGO, N.D. ? The North Dakota State women's soccer team struck first, but Oakland rallied for two second half goals to defeat the Bison 2-1 in the Summit League opener for NDSU at the Ellig Sports Complex.  The loss drops North Dakota State to 3-1-0 on the season and 0-1-0 in Summit League play.

Senior Michelle Martinez got the Bison on the board in the 17th minute, taking a feed from Nicole Rand in the far corner and heading it past Oakland goalkeeper Kim Herbst to give NDSU the 1-0 lead.  Freshman Marissa Wolfgram was also credited with an assist on the play.  The Bison would carry that lead in to the half, despite being outshot by the Grizzlies 14-3.

Oakland (1-3-0, 1-1-0 conf.) struck quickly in knotting the game at one in the second half as reigning conference Player of the Year Kristi Tomczyk fired a shot from the left side of the net that found its way past goalkeeper Monica Morgan just 27 seconds in.  Tomczyk played a part in the Grizzlies' second goal of the game, putting a shot into the box that teammate Courtney McCracken redirected with her heel into the goal, giving Oakland the 2-1 advantage in the 68th minute.  North Dakota State had a number of scoring chances in the waning minutes, but a number of key saves from Herbst sealed the victory for the Grizzlies.

"We knew we were going to get their best effort, especially after their loss (at South Dakota State) Friday night," said head coach Pete Cuadrado.  "They were definitely ready for this game, and it took us a little longer to match that intensity.  We picked it up at the end, but it was a little too late."

Morgan had a solid outing in net, recording eight saves on the afternoon, including six on Tomczyk.  The sophomore goalkeeper upped her career total to 104, moving her into fourth place on the all-time list.  Martinez's goal was her second of the year and 26th of her NDSU career, moving her into a tie with Tonya Tuckenhagen (1995-98) and Jessica Rodgers (2002-05) for third-place on the Bison scoring list.

Despite the loss in the first ever Summit League contest, coach Cuadrado still remains confident that the Bison will be in the mix for the regular season title.

"We'll be competitive, that's for sure," Cuadrado said.  "Oakland is a great team, and we were right there with them.  We just need to eliminate some mistakes, and we'll be just fine."

North Dakota State wraps up its season-opening five-game homestand on Friday, Sept. 14, when it hosts the Creighton Bluejays at the Ellig Sports Complex.  Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.