Box Score Colorado College continues to push the top teams in the Mountain West to the limit, however the fortunes continue to fall in favor of their opponents and keep the Tigers from earning the three points they need.

It happened again on Friday afternoon as a couple of breaks went against the Tigers and first-place San Jose State University escaped Stewart Field with a 3-2 victory.

Despite falling behind by a pair of goals early in the first half, CC clawed its way to within a goal on two occasions.

Senior forward Dorthe Hoppius put the Spartans on the board just 2:08 into the game when she moved across the top of the box and launched a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, came straight down and spun back high into the net.

San Jose State caught a huge break in the 18th minute when a wind-blown cross by junior forward Darriell Franklin from left outside of the box found its way into the net near the far post. The sequence began when Franklin picked up the rebound of a shot by Hoppius near the left sideline.

The Tigers generated several dangerous situations early in the first half, but were not rewarded for their efforts. Senior defender Anne-Sophie Lapointe had a look at an open net from high on the right side, but her shot glanced off a teammate and bounded out of the box on the right side.

Moments later, junior midfielder Lauren Milliet saw her shot tipped over the crossbar by SJSU junior goalkeeper Paige Simoneau.

Then sophomore midfielder Johanna Hamblett sent a header just over the crossbar in the 20th minute.

Odom made the save of the game in the 32nd minute when she made a diving lunge toward the right post to deny Hoppius and keep Colorado College within striking distance.

The Tigers got on the board late in the 34th minute when sophomore forward Catie McDonald took the ball from a Spartan midfielder and found the net with a bending shot that eluded Simoneau high on the near side.

In the 57th minute, a header by junior forward Clara Richter that was floating toward the right post was cleared away by a leaping Spartan defender.  

Sophomore forward Jamilecxth Becerra gave San Jose State a 3-1 lead when she scored in the 73rd minute on a shot from the right side of the box that snuck between Odom and the near post.

Colorado College clawed back to within a goal with 7:36 remaining when Richter used her head to flick the ball into the box. Freshman defender Tayla Wheeler eventually found the ricochet, and her rolling shot went to junior defender Kelli Sullivan who knocked the ball into the goal.

Wheeler had CC's best chance to level the score early in the 87th minute, but her shot from the center of the box was blocked.

San Jose State finished with a 15-10 advantage in total shots and an 8-4 edge in corner kicks.

Simoneau made three saves for the Spartans, who improved to 10-5-1 overall and 7-1-1 in conference play.

Colorado College, which slipped to 5-8-4 overall and 2-5-2 in the conference, travels to Fresno State on Sunday.