Mounties Suffer OT Heartbreaker in Season Opener at Cal
CALIFORNIA – Mansfield held a 1-0 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, but California rallied to tie the game with eight minutes left before scoring the winning goal on a penalty kick with just over a minute remaining to overtime to pull out a 2-1 Saturday afternoon at California.
For a game that was scoreless, with both team combined for just one shot on goal over the first 80 minutes, the last 19 minutes were filled with scoring, drama and controversy.
Mansfield freshman
Emily Smith finally broke the long scoring drought when she played a pass from fellow freshman
Ashlynn Bacchieri off her chest and into the net to give Mansfield 1-0 advantage with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Cal came back and tied the game a little under two minutes later when Kira Carberry took a crossing pass from Katharina Pankratz 18 yards out to sneak it by Mansfield goalie Rachael Fox to tie the score at 1-1.
Mansfield, which outshot Cal 8-1 in the second half and 9-4 for the game, got off two more shots before the end of regulation with sophomore
Delaney Meadows shot going wide in the 84th minute and freshman
Caitlyn McNichol's shot two minutes later being stopped by goalie Meghan Jayes.
The Mountaineers were not able to generate any shots in the overtime period with Cal getting off a shot in the 96th minutes by Selena Fushimi-Karns that was stopped by
Rachel Fox.
With just 64 seconds remaining in OT, Mansfield was call for a pair of fouls, including a handball in the box, giving California a penalty shot. Daniela Del'Aquila put the winning shot into the top left-hand side of the net.
Cal had just three shots on goal with Fox being credited with one save. Meghan Jayes had three saves for California.
It marked the first time in Mansfield's 15-year history the Mountaineers have lost in overtime in their season opener. Mansfield battled Edinboro to a 1-1 tie in the 2007 season opener and beat Goldey-Beacom 2-1 in overtime to start the 2011 campaign.
Mansfield host East Stroudsburg this Wednesday at the Soccer Field.
