BOX SCORE #12 Sonoma State 1, Cal State Monterey Bay 0 (OT) -- Box Score
ROHNERT PARK -- It took longer than 90 minutes of regulation to decide a winner, but just 1:47 into the first extra period, one of the CCAA's most feared goal scorers came through, yet again.
Cara Curtin netted her 13th goal of the season in the 92nd minute to send the Sonoma State women's soccer team into a frienzied, on-field celebration after a thrilling 1-0 victory over visiting Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday afternoon at the Seawolf Soccer Field.
The Seawolves improve to 12-1-1 overall and 9-1-1 in conference action, extending their streak of shutouts to six games. The Otters, meanwhile, fall to 7-6-0 and 4-6-0 in the CCAA.
While neither team found the net in regulation, both had excellent chances to score the go-ahead goal. Sonoma State held a 14-8 advantage in shots through the first 90 minutes of action, but Cal State Monterey Bay would put the pressure on the Seawolf defense with a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks, including 4-0 in the second half. Both goalkeepers,
Alexis Sciacqua of SSU and Diana Zambrano of CSUMB, played outstanding games, making two and five saves, respectively.
With a scoreless tie at the end of regulation, both teams would come out of the five-minute break with intensity, but the only shot taken in overtime turned into being the game-winner.
Bree Robles was able to find Curtin standing 10 yards from the left post, before Curtin turned, fired around an Otter defender and watched the ball sail into the right side of the net, just beyond the fingertips of Zambrano.
It was Curtin's third shot of the afternoon, complementing the three shots off the foot of both
Margi Osmundson and
Alesha Laranjo. The Otters' Zambrano made saves on the first five shots on target, three of which came in the first half, but the sixth and final shot on goal snuck in behind her. Sciacqua, meanwhile, has held opponents scoreless for the last 592:04, a span of six-plus games, dating back to Sept. 23.
Sonoma State continues to hold a lead over second-place Cal State Stanislaus for the top spot in the CCAA North Division standings, which currently stands at a four-point spread, but the Warriors are scheduled to play on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. against Cal Poly Pomona.
The Seawolves will now hit the road for a weekend road trip to southern California, first making a stop at the Home Depot Center in Carson, the home of the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA, both of Major League Soccer, to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
