ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. - A gridlock of a game turned into an overtime thriller at Seawolf Soccer Field today as Sonoma State defeated Cal Poly Pomona 1-0 in double overtime to open up conference play. Cal Poly Pomona came in as a tough test for SSU as the Broncos sat with a 4-2-0 record and recorded key wins over CCAA opponents Cal State La and Cal State San Bernardino in preseason action. The Seawolves were 5-1-0 coming in and looked to start conference play out with a win and continue their two game win streak at home. 

After a steady 45-minutes of action, the game remained 0-0 and evenly matched. Emiria Salzmann and her group out-shot the Broncos 7-4 but only recorded 2 shots on goal in the half. Reigning CCAA women's soccer player of the week, Lexi Zandonella-Arasa, showed her threat again this afternoon as she recorded a team high three shots in the match with one on goal. Arasa also played the full 110 minutes for SSU. Forward Molly Murphy was also quite dangerous as she matched Arasa with three shots of her own and two on goal. The Broncos keeper made big saves late in the game to keep the Seawolves off the scoreboard. She would finish with a game high five saves on the afternoon.  

Seven shots and three yellow cards later, the game would remain scoreless and find it's way to overtime play. The heat would play a role during the match as well for the Seawolves as starting keeper Phoebe Barnes would exit at halftime allowing for backup keeper and fellow freshman Emily Masursky to make her second SSU appearance on the season. Masursky would pickup right where Barnes left off and record two saves in the match and provide a calm presence throughout the two overtime periods.  

It would only be fitting for the Seawolves conference opener to be potentially decided in golden goal fashion in front of the home crowd. Only one shot from Cal Poly Pomona would come in the first 10-minute overtime period but sparks would fly in dramatic fashion in the second period. 

The Seawolves came out with a burst of energy and were able to record some dangerous free kick opportunities in the Broncos defensive end. After a foul committed by the Pomona defense near midfield, defender Kristine Keller would send a dangerous ball just in front of the six-yard box where Julia Prtichard would get a flick on to goal and create a chance. With less than ten seconds on the clock, Broncos keeper, Sydney Williams, would make another stunning save as she deflected the ball up and off the crossbar. The ball would come back into play and take a bounce in the six-yard box with the game clock now under five seconds. There, Pritchard would follow up the save and make an incredible lunging header between two defenders but Williams would make yet another stop on a brilliant reaction save to her left. With less than three seconds, the ball would shuffle back into the mix yet again where freshman Olivia Aschbrenner would react with an acrobatic left-footed poke that found the bottom of the left corner as time expired to win the game for the Seawolves!!

Sonoma State would quite literally walk it off as the entire team stormed the field to celebrate in dramatic fashion. The Seawolves improve to 6-1-0 on the year and 1-0 in conference play. They will face off against Cal State LA this Sunday and look to continue their win streak and start CCAA play 2-0. 

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