Box Score BELMONT, N.C. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's soccer team started the new campaign on Thursday afternoon, falling 4-2 to No. 19 Belmont Abbey. UAH opens the year at 0-1, while the Crusaders start at 1-0.
 
Making an immediate impact in her return after missing all of last season due to an injury was Khadijah Jannah who scored in the 53rd minute to pull UAH within one at the time at 2-1. The senior was named a preseason all-conference selection, and she showed why on this day as it was a three-point performance for Jannah as she also assisted on Allie Wiggins' goal later in the game.
 
The hosts struck first in the opening 45 minutes, grabbing a 1-0 lead on Laura Shelton's goal in the 30th minute, and the Crusaders tacked onto the lead with another strike eight minutes later off the foot of Meghan Philp to make the score 2-0 at the halftime break.
 
After Jannah cut the advantage for Belmont Abbey to just one, the country's 19th-ranked team would build the lead up to three by responding with a pair of quick goals as Cierra Skyers scored in the 57th and Jillian Lang struck in the 61st to create a 4-1 score.
 
Scoring her first collegiate goal and concluding the barrage of goals to start the second half, Wiggins then made it 4-2 when the Trussville, Alabama, native scored from Jannah in the 65th minute as the teams combined for four scores in just under 12 minutes.
 
Emily Rhodes and Larae Breaux saw time in goal for the Chargers as both recorded their first-ever collegiate minutes. Rhodes started the contest, playing the entirety of the first half and taking the loss while recording a pair of saves, and Breaux matched that number with two stops of her own as she played the second half.
 
Belmont Abbey outshot UAH 8-2 in the first half en route to a 15-8 advantage, and the home side also held an 8-5 advantage in corners, though the Chargers did match them in the second stanza as both teams had four in the period.
 
UAH will continue play in the Carolinas on Saturday when the Chargers take on Newberry in a contest that is slated to state at noon CDT.