CHICO, Calif. - After a showdown against the No.4 Broncos on Friday, the Chico State women's team needed to bounce back on Sunday in order to get back on track with only a handful of conference games remaining.

With the first whistle blown, the Wildcats pushed forward and made it a point they would be the first to strike in the crucial matchup. 

After 29 minutes, Chico State was rewarded after Avery Pieri connected with a cross from her sister, Hannah Pieri, that blasted past the Coyotes keeper to lift the home team to 1-0.

Hannah Pieri nabbed her third assist, the second time this season assisting her sister.

The 'Cats kept the pressure on the visiting Coyotes, head coach Kim Sutton pushing her team to leave no doubt that her team would take the entire three points on Sunday.

In the second half, the Coyotes found a better offensive spark but continued to be shut out by Sophomore Claire Schnabel, who earned her second career start on Sunday. The Washington native made five saves in her first career shutout with the Wildcats, making enormous saves late into the second half.

Chico State looked connected on all sides of the ball, and it eventually produced another goal as Avery Pieri doubled the lead with a brace in the 81st minute. The senior won the ball in the midfield, made a solo dribble through the Coyotes defense, and blasted a left-footed shot into the right-hand post to secure the win.

This win gives the women's soccer team a much-needed boost in the standings as the conference continues to be separated by slim margins for conference tournament berths.

The Wildcats improved to 2-3-3 in the conference, with three more games remaining in the season. They will need to claw out results in the remaining matches to secure a top-six spot; any wins on the road can propel them into a qualification spot.

With all home matches under their belts, Chico State women's soccer will travel to Cal State East Bay next Friday, November 1st, for their next matchup. The kickoff in Hayward is at 4:30 p.m., so follow along on FloSports.