ARCATA – The Chico State women's soccer team scored three times for the third time in its last four matches in Friday's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener at Humboldt State. The Wildcats needed them all in a 3-2 win.
 
Pooja Patel scored twice in a 52-second span to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead before Brianna Bengivengo made it a two-goal cushion in the 75^th minute.
 
Humboldt State, which took a 1-0 lead with a 51^st-minute strike, scored on a penalty kick awarded just 28 seconds after Bengivengo's tally to cut the lead to 3-2. But the Wildcats held on.
 

The Wildcats have now won four straight to stretch their unbeaten streak to five matches, improving to 5-1-1 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA. They've tallied 11 goals in their last three matches, a streak during which Patel has provided three goals and two assists.
 
She drew the Wildcats even in the 62^nd minute, taking a throw-in down the line from Cassi Scroggins, maneuvering her way deep into the box with an angled dribble toward the near post, and placing a shot into the upper-90 inside the far post.
 
Patel's second strike came just a minute later and gave the Wildcats the lead for good. Shelby Lanksbury set her up with a dribble to the end line. She slotted a pass back to Patel for the finish. The goal was Patel's team-leading fourth of the season.
 
The true freshman Bengivengo, a second-half substitution, scored her second collegiate goal in the 75^th minute to make it 3-1. Another true freshman, Carlie Reader, dribbled through a crowd down the right flank, cut back inside, and played a cross to Bengivengo at the far post. She headed it back across the goal and into the far corner.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Boulton made two of her five saves in the final nine minutes of the match to earn the win.
 
Humboldt State dipped to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the CCAA.
 
The Wildcats will now head south along the coast to face Sonoma State (4-1-2, 2-0-1 CCAA) Sunday at 11:30 a.m.