EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – The Moravian College women's soccer team opened the 2013 season with a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Wilkes University in the opening round of the Colonel Classic on Friday afternoon.

The Greyhounds (0-1) were forced to play catch-up after Wilkes took a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute and held Moravian scoreless at half. Wilkes outshot Moravian 5-4 in the opening 45 minutes.

Moravian battled back at the start of the second half, but Wilkes got a second goal in the 52nd minute to put the Greyhounds in a 2-0 hole. That's when Moravian turned up the volume and began putting dangerous pressure on the Wilkes back line.

Junior midfielder/forward Kirsten Schall began the second-half Moravian rally when she slotted the first goal of the 2013 season into the net in the 65th minute. In the following 10 minutes, senior midfielder Taylor DiSora made her attempt at an equalizer as two shots just missed the target.

Senior goaltender Genevieve Chaleff did her part to keep the Greyhounds in the game as she made three saves in the season opener. She only needed one save in the second half, however, as her teammates were busy on the attack.

Moravian put a flurry of shots on net in the final two minutes of regulation, forcing the Wilkes keeper to make two saves to salvage the win. Freshman Christine Miklas and sophomore Melissa Pavia put shots on goal as the last seconds ticked away.

Freshman Valentina Margiottiello also put a shot on net in her Moravian debut, a total of 53 minutes on the pitch Friday afternoon.

The Greyhounds have a short turnaround on a shot at redemption when the Colonel Classic continues Saturday, August 31 with a 2:30 p.m. match against SUNY Brockport.