By Jeremy Gonzalez, Sports Editor
The CSUDH women’s soccer team experienced heartbreak on the road against Stanislaus State when it conceded a goal at the beginning of overtime and were defeated 2-1 in the first round of the 2019 CCAA playoffs.
Within the first minute of overtime, Stanislaus State got the ball inside of the Toros 18-yard box and forward Sadie Ortiz scored to send the Warriors through to the next round while sending the Toros home.
The Toros and Warriors met earlier in the regular season when Stanislaus State was ranked No. 17 in the nation. That game ended in a 3-0 home defeat for the Toros.
CSUDH snuck into the playoffs by going on a four-game winning streak which saw them enter as the fifth seed, resulting in them traveling up north to face Stanislaus State. This playoff game was the first postseason game in 10 years for the Toros women’s soccer team.
In the first half of the playoff game, a penalty was called in favor of the Warriors at the 41st minute which saw forward Ilena Rivera score from the spot and gave Stanislaus State a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
The Toros fired back immediately at the beginning of the second half when midfielder Holly Kaemerle had the ball inside the Warriors 18-yard box in the 48th minute and fired a shot into the bottom left corner past Warriors goalkeeper Alyssa Herrman to tie the game 1-1.
Regular time finished with the scoreline still tied, which let to overtime and saw Ortiz score the game winner for the Warriors. Ortiz was in red hot form entering this game, having scored four goals in the final two regular season games for the Warriors.
Stanislaus State moves on to the conference semifinals where they will face Sonoma State, the top seeded team in the CCAA, on Friday Nov. 15. The Toros travel back to Carson to begin their offseason and focus on the 2020 season.
