MARCY, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Women's Soccer Team (0-1) fell to the Panthers of Albany College of Pharmacy on Saturday afternoon, 3-1 in the team's season-opener. The game went off as part of SUNYIT's home tournament, the Wildcat Classic, which also includes Hilbert College and Sage College. Sage lost the 4 pm match with Hilbert 1-0, and will therefore face SUNYIT in the consolation game at noon, with the championship game to follow at 2 pm between the Panthers and the Hilbert Hawks.

Despite losing a big class of seniors to graduation, the young Wildcats held their own in the first half, out shooting the Panthers 9 to 5. Albany was nonetheless able to strike first, however, as Katie Parsels ripped a beautiful strike from the top of the penalty box off a great setup from Alexa Schooley. There was nothing first-year goalkeeper Angela Bartlett (West Winfield, N.Y. / Mount Markham) could do on the shot, as the ball ripped the upper left quadrant of the net.

The Wildcats bounced back after halftime with a goal barely two minutes in. Rookie Brittany Waterbury (Remsen, N.Y.  / Remsen) found the corner of the goal in the 48^th minute on an assist from fellow first-year McKenna Hungerford (Morris, N.Y. / Morris).

Eight minutes later the Panthers' Sarah Cope took advantage of an excellent through-ball from a teammate that resulted in a one-on-one with the SUNYIT keeper, a battle Cope won with a deft shot that beat Bartlett over the top.

SUNYIT battled hard from there to try to equalize the game. Senior Kristina Strang (Rotterdam, N.Y. / Schalmont) was able to create a couple decent opportunities and finished the game with a team-leading 5 shots, however the Panther defense seemed to make a point of swarming the 5-foot-6 forward and kept her from getting any great looks.

The Panthers would add an insurance goal in the 81^st minute and go on to win 3-1. After out shooting the visitors in the first half, SUNYIT saw their fortunes reversed in the second as the Panthers out shot the Wildcats 16 to 7.

Bartlett, who played well in her first action between the pipes, made 11 saves on the day.

SUNYIT will conclude the Wildcat Classic at noon tomorrow against the Gators of Sage College, who lost 1-0 on a late goal by Hilbert in the day's second game.