In undoubtedly its most painful loss of the season, Colorado College literally watched one slip away on Sunday.

High-flying Rice University struck for a pair of fluke goals just 96 seconds apart late in regulation at RU Track & Soccer Stadium, sending the Tigers home with a 2-1 defeat that kept them still looking for their first Conference USA victory of 2010.

CC, now 0-3-1 in league play, dropped to 4-4-4 overall after a promising 4-1-2 start.

“I'm absolutely devastated for our team,” head coach Geoff Bennett said of Sunday's setback. “This makes numerous times this season that we've felt that we've been the better team on the day, but ultimately on the wrong side of the final score.

“But we've got  seven games left. We feel we're good enough to win all seven. Our goal still is to make the conference tournament, and when we do, I like our chances.”    

Senior defender Sydney Fetter's first tally since the 2008 campaign, off a header of Beth Wright's cross just 19:32 into the contest, staked the Tigers to an early lead that they protected until the 81:29 mark.

That's when Rice, one of C-USA's biggest surprises so far this fall, got its first big break as Korey Taylor scored from a scramble in front of the net after an apparent infraction against the Owls in the box was not whistled.  

Then, at 83:05, a Colorado College clearing attempt appeared to hit the foot of RU's Hope Ward before ricocheting directly over the head of sophomore keeper Hanna Berglund, who was making the first start of her collegiate career. 

CC finished with a 16-14 edge in overall shots, as well as a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.      

Rice, 7-5 overall, improved to 4-0 in league play and remained in a tie for first-place with crosstown rival University of Houston, which blanked the Tigers by a 1-0 count on Friday.