Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Pacific
Women's Soccer Succumbs to Late Pacific Rally
9/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 27, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State's (1-8) growing pains continued Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. In a match that was dominated by the Bulldogs for 78 minutes, Pacific scored two late goals and forced the match into overtime. The Tigers (8-1) repeated last season's conclusion with the game-winner in the first overtime period.
For 78 minutes, Fresno State was outrunning and outgunning the Tigers. The Bulldogs built a 2-0 lead behind goals from freshman forward Katri Nokso-Koivisto (Kokkola, Finland) and senior forward Susan Shivokevich (Thousand Oaks, Calif.).
"They got that second score and it put us against the ropes," said Coach Welp. "If you keep a team like Pacific in it, they're going to put it away."
The Bulldogs outshot the Tigers 9-2 in the first half and held Pacific's leading scorer Regina McGee to zero shots. Late in the match FS seemed to be on its way to its first home win of the season, but that plan was spoiled by a furious Tiger comeback.
The rally started with a goal by Tiger forward McGee, who dribbled through three defenders down the middle to cut the lead in half at the 78:29 minute mark.
Thirty-five seconds later the Tigers struck again on the foot of midfielder Felicia Weiss. The goal would force the match into overtime. In the last 12 minutes of regulation, Pacific outshot the Bulldogs 8-2.
In overtime it was all Pacific as it racked up three shots in just two minutes. The final one was the clincher as McGee knifed down the middle once again to complete the comeback.
"We were in control of that game, but we still are making mistakes," said Welp. "We have to finish a game with the group of people we have and tonight we didn't do that."
The loss was the sixth in a row for Fresno State and third consecutive at home. Nokso-Koivisto led the way for FS offensively, scoring a goal and assisting on another. She now leads the team with five goals and 12 points this season.
The Bulldogs return to action Sunday when they travel to Cal Poly, 1 p.m.
