BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — It took more than 89 minutes for the Sacramento State women's soccer team to find the back of the net, but the wait was well worth it as senior Abigail Lopez netted the game-tying score with 39 seconds remaining to help forge a 1-1 draw with Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Hornets wrapped up an unbeaten week with the result, moving to 2-3-3 overall on the season and 8-1-4 all-time against the Roadrunners. Cal State Bakersfield moved to 1-7-1 overall with Sunday's final.
Lopez, who scored her first goal of the season in the 81st minute of Thursday's 1-0 victory over CSUN at home, came up clutch again after the Roadrunners had taken the lead with three seconds left before the halftime horn.
With under a minute remaining, Cal State Bakersfield pushed the ball down into the corner, looking to take as much time off the clock as possible. However, sophomore defender Dalen Lau was able to win the ball and kick it back upfield to a waiting Danna Restom. Restom took a couple touches, spun away from her defender and found an open Cassandra Herrman waiting at the top of the 18.
Herrman then blasted a long ball up the field that took a bounce away from a charging Roadrunner defender and onto the feet of Lopez, who was racing step-for-step with her defender about 30 yards from the goal. Lopez cut inside, touched the ball forward, deftly deked the Cal State Bakersfield goalkeeper to the left and finished with her left to the open net to tie the match.
The score was Lopez's 13th of her career, moving the Elk Grove, Calif., native into a tie for ninth on the school's all-time list alongside Tisha Smith (1994-95) and Adaurie Dayak (2013-16). Lopez's 31 career points are now just five shy of former teammate Aubrey Goodwill (2018-22) for 10th on that list.
Bakersfield had one more run in it, but came up empty as Kim Garcia's cross was snatched out of the air by goalkeeper
Izzy Palmatier to secure the victory as time expired.
Lopez finished with a team-high four shots, putting three of those on frame, while Palmatier chalked up five saves in the draw.
Sacramento State closes out non-conference play with a single contest next week, taking on Southern Utah on Thursday (Sept. 19) at Noon PT.
