The best season in St. Edward’s University women’s soccer team history ended Saturday in the Elite Eight with a 1-0 loss at home to the University of California-San Diego.

The Hilltoppers had reached the Elite Eight one season after falling in the Sweet 16.

“A lot of people looked at this year as a rebuilding year,” head coach Nick Cowell said. “What they did was take the program one more step forward.”

When the action began, the Tritons took the first shot, which sailed high. Senior Janae Averett followed with a shot for the Hilltoppers a few minutes later, but her attempt was blocked by a defender.

Junior Jordan Ynostrosa took another shot for the Hilltoppers in the 18th minute.

After three consecutive corner kicks, the Tritons scored the first and only goal of the game in the 22nd minute.

Within the first five minutes of the second half, each team had attempted a corner kick, but neither scored.

With the game winding down at the 61st minute, sophomore Kelsey Hamann took what turned out to be the final Hilltopper shot of the game. The shot sailed wide right.

The Tritons went on to attempt two more shots within two minutes – both of which went high and wide.

“It’s hard to go out this way,” Averett said, “but we gave it everything we had and we worked really hard. We just didn’t get the result that we wanted.”