SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento State opened the spring 2021 season in dramatic fashion Thursday afternoon, winning a double-overtime thriller against the visiting Saint Mary's Gaels, 2-1. 

With the win, Sacramento State opens the 2021 season 1-0 while Saint Mary's falls to 0-3.

Playing through a constant rain that only got worse as the match went on, the Hornets and Gaels needed 103 minutes to settle things on Thursday. In the end, it was Erika Sosa driving home the game-winning golden goal to send the Hornets home with the win. Aubrey Goodwill assisted on the golden strike, delivering a free kick into the box that, after a slight deflection, found the foot of Sosa before finding the back of the net.

For Sosa, the goal was the third of her career and her first since October of last season, Oct. 6, 2019 against Southern Utah. It was the first game-winning goal of her career.

In addition to scoring the final match of the goal, Sacramento State also scored the first match of the goal on a Christina Lazar strike in the 33rd minute. Once again, it was Goodwill starting the chain of events with a free kick from roughly 30 yards out. Ariana Nino put a clean header on the ball, but it was deflected by a Gaels defender before Lazar found her opening.

Lazar's goal was her first in nearly three years as the redshirt junior made her return to the field for the first time since October of the 2018 season. The Rocklin, Calif. native scored twice in 2018 before her season was cut short due to injuries and redshirted the 2019 campaign. Lazar played a team-leading 96 minutes in her return.  

In between the Hornets' two goals, Saint Mary's found an equalizer in the second half, scoring off of a corner kick in the 73rd minute. Set pieces plagued the Hornets last season, as well. Sacramento State allowed just 14 goals last season, but all of them came off of set pieces, either free kicks or corner kicks.

In addition to battling the elements, the Hornets also spent much of Thursday's season opener battling a pressing Gaels attack. Saint Mary's outpossessed the Hornets, 57-43% and dominated in the shots category, 17-8. The Gaels also won the corner kick game, taking eight on Thursday compared to the Hornets' one.

Despite the seemingly constant Saint Mary's pressure, the Hornets defense held up. Just seven of the Gaels' 17 shots were on frame and goalkeeper Aaliyah Fesili made six saves.

Thursday's match against the Gaels was just one of two for the Hornets this week. Up next, Sacramento State will travel to Stockton on Saturday to take on the Pacific Tigers on their home turf. Saturday evening's match will start at 6 p.m. PT and will stream live online on the WCC Network. As always, links to live video and live stats are available online on the Sacramento State women's soccer schedule at HornetSports.com.