The Chico State women's soccer team's surprising slide continued Friday with a 3-1 loss to Cal State San Bernardino in their California Collegiate Athletic Association opener at University Soccer Stadium.
 
Since a 4-0-1 start that had the Wildcats ranked No. 13 in the nation, they've since lost five in a row. It's their longest losing streak since 1999. They hadn't lost more than two in a row since 2012.
 
The Wildcats are now 4-5-1 overall and 0-5-0 in the CCAA.
 
As has been the case in three of the five losses, the Wildcats again outshot the Coyotes by a wide margin, 11-6. But Emily Shleppey's banger from 25 yards out on a free kick was the only one that found the back of the net.
 
Cal State San Bernardino, now 4-5-1 and in second place in the CCAA at 3-2-1, opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Cassandra Bermudez cleaned up Susan Ibarra's blocked shot and buried it from just above the six-yard box.
 
Shleppey answered emphatically just over a minute later. Taking a free kick from 25 yards out after Pooja Patel drew a foul, Shleppey curled in a beautiful strike off the fingertips of the fully-extended Coyotes' goalkeeper Megan Vina. The goal was the first of the season for Shleppey and the second of the senior's career.
 
Vina did well to keep the match tied until intermission when she made a brilliant save on René Weiler's try from the top of the circle in the 26^th minute.
 
The Coyotes took the lead for good less than four minutes into the second half when Shleppey's attempted pass back to the defense from midfield split two Wildcats and Cal State San Bernardino's speedy Rachel Figg beat them to it and beat Chico State goalkeeper Caylin Stanley with a rolling shot inside the far post.
 
The Wildcats nearly got the equalizer five minutes later, but Vina denied Shelby Lanksbury with a kick save. They had another golden opportunity in the 64^th minute, but Lindsey Dias couldn't get good contact on Korie Bozart's free kick to the far-post doorstep and popped it into the air.
 
The Coyotes put the game away in the 75^th minute as Amanda Lopez's in-swinging corner kick ricocheted off the far post and into the net.
 
Chico State will look to change its fortunes Sunday when it hosts Cal Poly Pomona. The match is scheduled to start at 11:30 p.m.