ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The ball will just not go in.

In spite of being down a couple of starters due to injury, the Bard College women's soccer team played well on Tuesday night against Skidmore, a team that went to the NCAA Tournament last year.

But fatigue, luck and dominating play from Skidmore in the second half eventually produced a goal, and the Thoroughbreds beat Bard, 1-0, for the second year in a row.

Bard is 4-8-1 overall and 0-4-0 in the Liberty League; all four conference losses have been shutouts.

The Raptors were the better side for the first 10 minutes of the game. As the first half wore on, though, Skidmore found more and more open space and started producing more and more offense. The Raptors held on tight in the last few minutes of the first half and had to be relieved to be tied at the break, because they were outshot 12-6 in the first 45 minutes, many of those coming late.

In the second half, Skidmore came out even more determined to break the deadlock and it paid off in the 60th minute. Sophomore Emily Saliterman pounced on a turnover at the corner of the box and volleyed it over the fingers of Bard keeper Kelsey O'Brien, off the bottom of the crossbar, and in. It was a great shot on a ball she didn't have time to settle and played on a hop.

Bard was held to one shot on goal in the second half, and used just one substitute all night. Isabel Keddy-Hector, Mady Calhoun, Gemma Godfrey and Margot Kalach Hanono were among the top performers for Bard, and Kelsey O'Brien kept the Raptors in it with 11 saves.

It was a valiant effort against a quality opponent. Bard just has to hope to get some players back from injury and figure out a way to score against RPI on Saturday, because that ever-elusive first Liberty League victory can't happen without someone scoring.

Kick off is at 2 in Annandale.