SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Junior Candace Ching scored her second and third goals of the season three minutes apart in the second half, helping the Sacramento State women's soccer team remain unbeaten on the season following a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Southern Utah on Thursday afternoon at Hornet Soccer Field.
Moving to 4-0-1 overall on the season, the Hornets have matched the 2000 squad for the best record through five matches to start a campaign. A win in their next match would give Sacramento State its best start in school history.
With the defeat, the Thunderbirds fell to 2-3 overall on the season.
Ching's brace was the first of her collegiate career and the second by a Hornet this season, joining teammate Mia Jackson, who scored twice in the regular season opener against Pacific. Freshman Marely Velazquez Varela and Ellie Farber were credited with assists on the goals — the former, logging the first point of her collegiate career and the latter collecting her first helper of the year and the ninth of her career.
Southern Utah was the first on the board just before halftime, breaking the scoreless deadlock with a score by Halle Cowan for the 1-0 lead. A ball by teammate Ashley O'Malley was sent across the top of the box where Cowan timed her run perfectly, sliding and punching it in with her right foot for the score.
It remained that way through the halftime break before Ching and the Hornets' offense punched back.
The junior's first score came in the 60th minute as she collected a deflected ball that was tapped to her by Velazquez Varela, outraced a defender into the box and finished with the right foot to the near post to tie the match.
In the 64th minute, Ching gave her team the lead for good. Establishing position near the penalty spot, Ching chested down a lofted ball from Farber before unleashing a one-timer into the upper right-hand corner for the eventual game winner.
The Hornets' defense then held the Thunderbirds to just three shots the rest of the way with sophomore goalkeeper
Alexa Malaspina stopping one and the defense blocking two more attempts to secure the win.
Sacramento State finished with an 11-9 shot advantage, putting a season-high eight of those attempts on frame — three of those off the foot of Ching.
Now with a week to recover until their next contest, the Hornets take the field next at Fresno State on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.
