LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's women's soccer team made sure the wait was well worth it Thursday in a thrilling double-overtime victory over Cal Poly Pomona.
Needing a win to get into the CCAA Tournament for the eighth straight season, the Golden Eagles got a game-winning goal from
Liliana Gonzalez in the 104th minute to punch their ticket. Cal State LA (6-9-2, 6-4-1 CCAA) earned the No. 5 seed and will open tournament play on Sunday at No. 4 seed San Francisco State.
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Cal Poly Pomona (8-6-3, 4-4-3 CCAA) also needed a win to get into the tournament, but came up short after a wild second overtime sequence.
The Broncos took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when Emma Barrow drilled an attempted clearance from outside the box inside the post for a brilliant strike and her sixth goal of the season.
Cal State LA, much like it did in Sunday's come-from-behind win over Humboldt State, took awhile to get started, but then picked things up in the second half.Â
The Golden Eagles got the equalizer in the 80th minute when
Melody Landphear converted a penalty kick for her second goal of the season and her second goal in as many games. Cal Poly Pomona goalkeeper Sydney Williams drew a yellow card after fouling
Vivian Viramontes in the box, something that became especially impactful later in the game.
Cal Poly Pomona had the better run of play in the first overtime period, but
Areli Reyes had one nice save and the Broncos were off-target on their other attempts.
Things turned dramatically in the second overtime.
Irma Pinzon got to a ball just ahead of Williams and was able to direct a shot toward goal just before she was fouled. The ball just trickled wide, but Williams was whistled for a foul and the Golden Eagles were awarded their second penalty kick of game. After some discussion, Williams was shown her second yellow and, as a result, a red card.
Clarissa Sanchez came on to replace her and promptly made a huge save, stopping Landphear's penalty attempt and keeping her team's postseason hopes alive.
The Golden Eagles, though, were able to pressure again less than two minutes later and, after Cal Poly Pomona was unable to clear the ball, Gonzalez fired a shot from in front that found the goal and sent the Golden Eagles to the postseason once again.
Cal Poly Pomona wound up with a 12-11 edge in shots, while Cal State LA had an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks.
