Chico State women's soccer coach Kim Sutton came home from the Wildcats' season-opening road trip talking about how impressed she was with Susanna Garcia's leadership. Then, as if it suddenly occurred to her, she added that Garcia was also the best player on the pitch during the team's 2-0 start.
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Garcia scored the lone goal of the match as Wildcats snuck by Azusa Pacific 1-0 Saturday evening at the Cougar Sports Complex. Monday, Garcia added another goal and also dished out an assist in the Wildcats' 3-1 come-from-behind win at Biola.
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In the Wildcats' first match since November 9, 2019 (along with Garcia's), against an Azusa Pacific crew that opened the campaign with a 4-0 smashing of San Francisco State, the junior forward staked Chico State to the lead for good in the ninth minute. She took a feed from Mackenzie Gill at the top of the six-yard box and buried her first shot of the season into the top shelf.
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Monday, Garcia scored another match winner, teaming up with long-time teammate Jordan Doukakis on a successful set piece. Garcia was the lone Wildcat near the 6-yard box for the Wildcats, in amongst three defenders and the keeper, as Doukakis set up the corner kick. Doukakis delivered the perfect ball and the diminutive Garcia did the rest, getting a step on her defender, shielding her off, and then rising at just the right time to flick the service into the back of the net with a header.
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Garcia assisted on the Wildcats' third goal, setting up true freshman Summer Baron with a point-blank look. Garcia's goal was the 10th of her career, and the seventh match winner. She hopes to add to that total Saturday in the Wildcats' 2021 home opener (and first home match since Nov. 9, 2019) at University Soccer Stadium against fifth-ranked Seattle Pacific.
