MOSCOW, Idaho -- Ariana Nino's first goal of the year tied it in the 84th minute and Danna Restom's header off the crossbar just spun over the line for the game-winner with 1:41 remaining in the match as the Sacramento State women's soccer team stunned league-leading Idaho, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center in Moscow, Idaho.
The victory moved the Hornets to 4-8-4 overall and 4-2-1 in Big Sky Conference play, winning back-to-back matches for the first time this season and the first time since defeating the Vandals and Eastern Washington on Oct. 8 and 10 last season.
Idaho, which stood atop the conference standings by a two-point margin following its win over Portland State on Friday, fell to 10-3-2 overall and 5-2 in league play.
It was the Vandals that struck first in the 16th minute on Savannah Foster's score as teammate Alyssa Peters sent a cross toward the back right post that was met by the head of Foster, who drilled it into the ground and past the Sacramento State keeper at the post for the 1-0 lead.
Controlling the match from there, Idaho nearly escaped with the win before the Hornets were able to come up with the equalizer in the 84th minute. Aubrey Goodwill launched a cross from the right corner toward the back post where Nino out-jumped her defender and bounced in a header to the left side to knot the score at one apiece.
The score was Nino's 10th of her career, but her first since scoring in a 2-1 win at Portland State on Oct. 13, 2019. Goodwill, meanwhile, notched her team-high third assist of the season and the 16th of her career, putting her just two shy of Paula Guarda (1994-97) for second on the school's all-time list.
Nino wasn't done, however, lofting a ball that would turn into the eventual game-winner in the 89th minute. The senior turned and chipped a left-footed ball back across to the right post to the head of a waiting Restom, who put it off the crossbar and over the line for her first score of the season and her first goal since scoring against Northern Arizona back on Oct. 22 of last season.
Sacramento State then ran out the clock from there, clinching its second consecutive road victory following a 2-1 win at Eastern Washington on Friday.
The Vandals finished with a 15-6 shot advantage and a 5-2 lead in shots on goal. Restom and Nino each finished with two shots apiece, while
Katie Bessemer and
Abigail Lopez also had an attempt. Goalkeeper
Mia Shalit finished with four saves on the day to help lead the defense.
With one week remaining in the regular season, the Hornets close out their regular season schedule at Northern Arizona on Friday (Oct. 21) in Flagstaff, Ariz., at 7 p.m.
