In a rubber match that lived up to the hype, the Chico State women's soccer team bounced back from Thursday's loss at Cal Poly Humboldt with its biggest win in four years, beating Lumberjacks 2-1 on Brynn Howard's overtime cracker at University Soccer Stadium. With the win, the Wildcats (9-4-5) advance to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament semifinals and will face Sonoma State Friday at 11:30 a.m. in Rohnert Park.
 
Howard chested down a ball right at the top of the 18-yard box, and on the bounce, blasted a waist-high volley just inside the right post in the fifth-minute of overtime. That proved to be the match winner.
 
"It feels absolutely amazing," Howard said. "I'm so stoked for everybody on this team, especially the seniors, that today wasn't the last game. We get to take it to Sonoma on Friday."
 
Chico State beat Cal Poly Humboldt 1-0 on September 17. That match will be featured during Wednesday's 5 p.m. premiere of the LG docu-series "The Rivalries." But the Lumberjacks returned the favor Thursday, beating the Wildcats 1-0 to capture a berth in the CCAA Tournament and set up Sunday's opening-round showdown.
 
The match was scoreless at the half despite a combined 13 shots in the opening stanza.

Chico State grabbed the lead in the 60^th minute thanks to courageous run by Hannah Pieri. Natalie Mendoza won a ball near midfield and quickly played the ball into space down the right flank for Mackenzie Gill to run onto. Gill got to the side door of the 18-yard box before knocking a cross to top corner of the opposite six. Pieri was on a dead sprint with a defender on her hip. The two of them and the goalkeeper met the ball at the same time. Pieri got her head on it just before taking an inadvertent punch to the face from the keeper, but was somehow still the only one of the three left standing as the ball slammed into the back of the net. It marked the freshman's first collegiate goal.
 
Outside of one lapse in concentration, the Chico State defense dominated play from the start of the second half on, allowing only one shot in the final 65 minutes of the match. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that shot went into the back of the net.
 
Just four minutes after Chico State had grabbed the lead, the Wildcats allowed Grace Johnson's cross to bounce through the box to the far post where Jysabella Tolenino waited all alone to pound it home and even the score in the 64^th minute. 
  
That set the stage for Howard's overtime heroics. The sophomore midfielder from Santa Rosa will get to head to her hometown this weekend following her second goal of the season, set up by Klayre Barres' ball toward the top of the box that Pieri poked high into the air with a knee. Howard was in the right spot at the right time and took a decisive shot that decided the match.
 
Tickets for Friday's CCAA Tournament semifinal match are $10 for general admission and $5 for seniors, active military, students with ID, and children ages 3-12. They can be purchased HERE or via a link on the Chico State women's soccer schedule page at www.ChicoWildcats.com where links to the match broadcast and live stats can also be found. The match will be broadcast on the CCAA Network and live stats are also available. Links can be found at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the women's soccer schedule page. Access to the live video stream requires a subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event on the network, home and away.
 
2022 CCAA Women's Soccer Tournament
at campus sites
Sunday, Oct. 30 - First Round
Match 1: #4 Chico State 2, #5 Cal Poly Humboldt 1, OT
Match 2: #3 Cal State LA 2, #6 Cal Poly Pomona 0

at Seawolf Soccer Field, Sonoma State, Rohnert Park, Calif.
Friday, Nov. 4 - Semifinals
Match 3: #1 Sonoma State vs. #4 Chico State, 11:30 a.m.
Match 4: #2 Stanislaus State vs. #3 Cal State LA, 2 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 6 - Championship
Match 5: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner, 1 p.m.
 
 

"The Rivalries," Featuring Chico State Soccer, Premieres Wednesday
Docu-series episode scheduled to air on LG Smart TVs at 5 p.m., 8 p.m., and 11 p.m.
 
The LG docu-series "The Rivalries" will premiere on Wednesday night at 5 p.m., Pacific, on LG Smart TVs. Available exclusively on the NCAA Championships Channel (Channel 100) via LG Channels, a free streaming service available exclusively on LG Smart TVs, the episode captures the history of the Chico State-Cal Poly Humboldt soccer rivalry. It culminates with the September 17 doubleheader between the teams in Chico.
 
The production crew split the week leading up to the match between Arcata and Chico, interviewing current and former players and coaches, and capturing the scenes of the respective universities and communities. "The Rivalries" docu-series is presented by LG USA in partnership with the NCAA. Following Wednesday's 5 p.m. premiere, the episode will be re-aired at 8 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. It is titled "The Battle for the North."
 
"The Rivalries" endeavors to give viewers access to some of the greatest rivalries in small-college sports. Each episode highlights a different sports rivalry as told through interviews, historical moments, and the most recent game footage.
 
The exclusive content series is part of a three-year partnership with the NCAA, Turner Sports, and CBS Sports for category exclusive marketing and distribution rights to NCAA Championship competitions that will expand the reach of college sports to legions of current fans and generations of new ones. LG's support of the NCAA Championships will include multiple initiatives to inspire fans and support student athletes including the recent launch of the NCAA Championships Channel, which will feature up to 50 NCAA Fall, Winter and Spring championships, both live and on-demand via LG's exclusive free streaming service, LG Channels.
 
Learn more about LG's NCAA partnership, The Rivalries docu-series and the NCAA Channel exclusively on LG Smart TVs, by visiting LG.com/NCAA.