After winning their last 11 home games, the Fresno State women’s soccer team was looking to repeat history as it hosted Sacramento State.

But the Bulldogs’ home winning streak came to an end after tying 1-1 in overtime against the Sacramento State Hornets on Sunday afternoon. 

The last time these two teams came up against each other, Fresno State came out on top in a 2-1 victory at an exhibition match at Hornet Soccer Field in 2019.

Over two years later, the Bulldogs applied the same pressure as the ball largely stayed in their hands in the first half. Two key chances to take the lead appeared within the first five minutes, courtesy of senior midfielder Robyn McCarthy. 

With a corner kick being provided by sophomore Kassandra Ceja, McCarthy stepped up but placed it too centered and into the legs of a Hornet defender in the fifth minute. The second attempt came after her own long throw-in, which set up senior Jordan Brown nicely. Ultimately, the ball came back to McCarthy who then took a shot to the center of the goal but into the keeper’s hands.

The first half was tumultuous, with numerous throw-ins disrupting the flow of play. Sacramento State freshman Shylah Soon received a yellow card in the 32nd minute.

“I think we were a little bit flat, to be honest [during the first half]. We were a bit naïve, in terms of our approach,” Fresno State head coach Brian Zwaschka said. “Credit must go to Sacramento State, as they were pretty resilient in the box.”

The second half began and the possession still seemed to be largely in the Bulldogs’ control until a Fresno State foul. Bulldogs senior Mariona Segales and freshman Jordan Lau had a messy challenge in the Bulldogs’ box in the 56th minute which led to a penalty. 

In the following play, Fresno State’s freshman goalkeeper Kesaia Bruni tried to distract Sacramento State’s Aubrey Goodwill by waving her arms and jumping along the baseline, but ultimately the ball hit the back of the net in the top right corner. The Hornets then led 1-0.

“The penalty changed the game. We had to really step up and rally. It probably took that to actually get the energy started,” Zwaschka said. 

With four substitutions within the next seven minutes for the Bulldogs, the team stepped up and rallied. Freshman midfielder Kylie Lucero sprinted and defended the entire final third against Sacramento State’s duo Emma Broers and Emily Davis at one point, as a result of the keeper briefly leaving the net. 

But the Hornets matched this energy and applied pressure to Fresno State forward Sam Tristan who sent a cross from the right wing to the goal. Sacramento State’s defense paid off as its goalkeeper caught the ball in the 72nd minute. 

With 15 minutes left and the Bulldogs down, the Hornets continued to use time to their advantage and repeatedly cleared the ball whenever it came into the Bulldogs’ final third. But Fresno State attackers remained persistent after each throw-in and the majority of aerial duels, regained control.

“I was impressed with the fact that once we started to deal with the pressure and recognize we needed to match that, that’s when we got back into the game,”  Zwaschka added.

Although there was only a minute and a half left on the clock, freshman Jaylyn Wright saw an opportunity. Wright came from the right wing to answer a cross from forward Jordan Brown, knocked the ball past the keeper, and into the bottom right of the net — scoring her first collegiate goal in the process.

“It was good scoring my first goal,” Wright said. “It was a great cross in, I couldn’t have done it without my team.”

The Bulldogs’ support was heard loud and clear as the Red Wave burst into life, a frenzy of celebration.

With the score now even, the teams headed into overtime. 

The additional 10 minutes did not provide any goals for either team, so proceeded to extend into another overtime but neither team managed to find the back of the net again, leaving the score at 1-1.

The second half of the season is right around the corner, and the Bulldogs look to bounce back from the draw when they face Colorado College on Friday at Colorado Springs.

“There is some confidence that we can carry back on the road, so there’s definitely new excitement about that,” Zwaschka said.