SACRAMENTO — Sophomore Abigail Lopez's goal from the penalty spot late in the first half brought the Sacramento State women's soccer team level and the Hornets' defense did well to hold off the UC Santa Barbara attack the rest of the way as they picked up their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw against the Gauchos on Thursday evening at Hornet Soccer Field.
Both teams moved to 0-2-1 overall on the season with the draw as junior goalkeeper Mia Shalit made six saves while facing 17 total shots from the opposition to forge the tie.
It was UC Santa Barbara that struck first just seven minutes into the match as Lauren Helwig poked home a score off passes from Courtney Andruczk and Katie Killer for the 1-0 lead at the 6:54 mark of the contest.
With the Gauchos controlling the majority of the possession in the first half, the Hornets manufactured the tying goal in the 39th minute on a ball that was played over the top of the UCSB defense in the direction of Jordan Goularte, who was taken down in the box by the Gauchos' defense.
Sacramento State was awarded a penalty kick and Lopez made good on the opportunity, guiding the ball into the lower left side of the net just out of the reach of the UC Santa Barbara keeper to tie the match with just over six minutes remaining in the period.
One of three Big Sky Conference players to score multiple goals in the season's opening weekend, the score was Lopez's third goal in the last two contests and her second from the penalty spot this year.
After a 10-1 advantage in the shot column in the opening 45 minutes, the Gauchos kept up the pressure in the second half with seven more shots, but the Hornets' defense did not break as Shalit made two of her six stops after the break and got some help from the woodwork late in the half as a Manuri Alwis attempt clanged off the crossbar in the 87th minute.
UC Santa Barbara, which held a 17-5 advantage in shots for the match, also had an apparent go-ahead goal waved off just seconds later as Shalit was fouled with the Gauchos scrambling for the winner inside the six.
Lopez finished with three of Sacramento State's five shot attempts on the day with Aubrey Goodwill and Goularte also picking up second-half attempts.
The Hornets continue their homestand on Sunday (Aug. 28) at 1 p.m., taking on Cal Poly in the first match of a doubleheader with the men's team, which takes on San Jose State at 4 p.m., at Hornet Soccer Field.
