GREELEY, Colo. -- Junior Jordan Goularte scored her first goal of the season in the 43rd minute to stake the Hornets to the early lead, but it wasn't enough to hold off Weber State, which tied the match midway through the second half and advanced to the Big Sky Conference Championship semifinals on penalties, 4-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Jackson Stadium in Greeley, Colo.
The result ended Sacramento State's season with a 4-9-5 overall record and a 4-3-1 mark in Big Sky play, gaining a berth in the conference's postseason tournament for the third time in the last four seasons.
The Wildcats moved to 5-11-1 overall and will face top-seeded Northern Arizona in Friday's (Nov. 4) second semifinal at 1 p.m. PT.
Goularte's second career goal came with just over two minutes remaining in the opening half as she wrestled the ball away from a Weber State player near midfield and turned toward the Wildcat goal, outracing a number of defenders and finishing to the lower right side for the 1-0 lead.
It was the Pinole, Calif., native's first score since she found the back of the net in a 4-2 Hornet victory over Eastern Washington on Oct. 10 of last season and she became the seventh different goal scorer for Sacramento State this season.
Abigail Lopez nearly gave the Hornets a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but the Wildcats got some help from the woodwork as the sophomore's left-footed attempt rang off the left corner of the crossbar to keep it a one-goal contest.
Weber State finally equalized in the 68th minute as Andelin Binford cut in on the right side and snuck in a shot at the right post to tie the match at one apiece, but it was the crossbar that would, again, deny the Hornets a second goal with just over six minutes remaining in regulation as
Jasmyne Dunn's right-footed attempt caught the upper right corner and bounced away from danger.
Finishing the rest of the half without any further scores, the two teams headed to overtime, where Sacramento State had a golden opportunity to take the lead once again. Freshman
Katie Bessemer was taken down on the right side of the box as the Hornets were awarded a penalty kick.
Senior
Aubrey Goodwill stepped to the spot to sent her attempt to the left post, but Weber State goalkeeper Mekell Moss guessed correctly, reading the attempt and pushing the shot wide for a corner, keeping the match deadlocked.
Both teams came up empty on their final two shot attempts of the first overtime and repelled attacks in the second with Lopez having the bench chance for either team with just over two minutes remaining as Moss made a point-blank stop on a Lopez header off a rebound to send it to penalty kicks.
Weber State opened penalty kicks by sending its first shot high, while Moss stopped the Hornets' first attempt to the left side. The Wildcats then converted on each of their next four while Sacramento State hit the post on its second attempt, but couldn't complete the comeback after makes by Goularte and
Lexi Rakela.
The Hornets finished with a 19-16 shot advantage, but the two teams could only combine for eight shots on goal as Goodwill, Lopez, and
Madelyn Dougherty each finished with three attempts each. Sacramento State also took all eight corner kicks in the contest.
