WASHINGTON -- Freshman Kayla Veloso-Lima scored her first NCAA goal in the second half, but the Robert Morris University women's soccer team couldn't come all the way back in a 2-1 loss to Howard on Friday afternoon.

The Colonials (1-3-1) fell behind 2-0 after an hour at Greene Stadium, but Veloso-Lima got the call from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute after a Howard foul in the box. The first-year forward from New Jersey buried the PK, RMU's first of the season, to give the visitors a chance.

However, Howard (2-1-0) didn't allow a single shot on target after that, preventing the Colonials from earning back-to-back comeback results. RMU trailed 1-0 against Canisius last Sunday at home before surging to a three-goal second half. 

There was no such offensive output in the Colonials' second road match of 2019. Just four of 13 RMU shot attempts challenged Howard goalkeeper Alayah Hightower to make a save. 

Perhaps the outcome would've been different if freshman Sheridan Reid's 44th minute attempt had been an inch or two lower. As it was, RMU's three-goal striker nailed the crossbar, allowing Howard to carry a one-goal lead into the half. The Colonials have now trailed at the break in four straight games.

Once Howard's Thalia Boucher doubled the margin on 58 minutes, hopes grew slimmer on the RMU sideline. On the bright side, Veloso-Lima's finish continued an early trend: Of the six goals scored by the Colonials this season, four have been contributed by freshmen. Veloso-Lima also has a pair of assists to go with her goal, placing her behind only classmate Reid on the team's scoring list.

On the down side, RMU has scored more than one goal in just one of its first five matches, while allowing multiple goals in three of five. Junior keeper Sydney Bruckner was busy Friday, stopping seven shots in her third start of the year, but she couldn't prevent Howard from leveling the all-time series with the Colonials at 6-6-1.

The Colonials will get a week to regroup before making a short trip southwest to Ohio University. Kickoff next Friday in Athens is set for 4 p.m.