FRESNO, Calif. – On a 108th minute goal, the San Diego State women's soccer team lost a heartbreaker on Thursday night, 0-1 to the Fresno Bulldogs in a Mountain West Conference game.
Off a cross in the 108th minute, the Bulldogs got a shot right at the far post which Aztec keeper Cameron Illingworth saved, but was unable to smother. The ball ended up on the foot of Fresno State's Kaelyn Miller, who put it into the top of the net at the 107:20 mark to win it for the Bulldogs.
For the game, San Diego State (6-9-0, 4-3-0 Mountain West) and the Bulldogs attempted 15 shots a side, with the Aztecs holding a 7-to-6 advantage over Fresno State (7-4-3, 5-1-1 Mountain West) in shots on goal. Despite those close statistics, Fresno State controlled the run of play through possessing the ball 60 percent of the game.
In her first action in goal as an Aztec, Illingworth was up to the test. The sophomore from Santa Ana, Calif., who transferred from Kansas State this year, stopped five shots and had a clean sheet through 107 minutes.
The Aztecs had three players with three shots each led by freshmen Trinity Coker and Denise Castro as well as senior Anna Toohey. For Coker, the three shots are a season high. Emma Gaines-Ramos, Laura Fuentes, Hope Paredes, Daniela Filipovic, Taylor Moorehead and Sarah Funk produced a shot each. Castro led the side with three shots on goal.
Each team had opportunities to score during regulation but were unable to find the back of the net.
In the first half, the Aztecs had the one really dangerous chance, and it came in the 22nd minute.
At the 21:48 mark, Lauren Dicus chipped a ball over the top and just behind the defense to a streaking Castro. Castro settled it, let two defenders run past her, and from the top of the box uncorked a left footed shot which the Fresno State keeper was able to smother.
After the first 45 minutes, the Aztecs had outshot Fresno State 6-to-4, putting four of those attempts on frame while Fresno State put two of its four shots on goal.
In the second half both offenses opened up and created good chances.
In the 59th minute, Fresno State's Jordan Brown hammered a shot from the top of the box, low to the near post, but Illingworth made a diving save to preserve the 0-0 tie.
At the 65:20 mark, Fresno State had a shot go off the crossbar and then, from a hard angle to the right of the goal, got a point-blank shot which Illingworth saved by deflecting over the end line.
In the 68th minute, Anna Toohey split the defense and got a shot off just inside the 18, which keeper Ella Wilson, who replaced Fresno State's starter Valentina Vivas at halftime, was able to corral before it went in.
At the end of regulation, SDSU still led in shots 14-to-11 and in shots on goal 6-to-4. The 8-to-1 disparity in fouls called against the Aztecs in the first 45 minutes had somewhat equalized, though the Aztecs still had three more than Fresno 12-to-9 at the end of regulation.
In the first overtime, each side took one shot, the Aztecs was on frame, but neither side could score.
In the second extra period, the Bulldogs got three shots off in the final minute and a half, with the last being the game winner.
The Note
Freshman striker Trinity Coker attempted a season-high three shots at Fresno State.
Next Up
San Diego State wraps up the weekend on Sunday at San Jose State. The Aztecs and Spartans are scheduled to kickoff at 12 p.m.
-SDSU-
A 108th Minute Goal Sends Aztecs To A 0-1 Decision
