LANCASTER, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's soccer team fell victim of a golden goal and were downed 2-1 (2OT) by the University of Antelope Valley Pioneers Saturday afternoon at the Lancaster National Soccer Center.
The Bobcats (4-4-1, 2-2) double overtime contest was the second of the year and they fall to 0-1-1 in such games. The Bobcats are now 1-1-3 in their last five games that have lasted longer than 100 minutes.
UAV'S golden goal was scored by Kristin Osuna in the 107th minute. Osuna, a Cal Pac Player of the Week selection earlier in the year, also scored the game's first goal off an assist from Karla Romero-Lopez. The score occured at the 30:13 mark.
Osuna was in the attack all game, recording a match-high 12 shots, six on goal. Overall UAV outshot UC Merced 28-14, 10-4 on goal.
Junior Emily Burnett was responsible for the Bobcats score Saturday afternoon in the 48th minute beating the diving Anekha Birdi to her right. The equalizer moved Burnett into second place on the program's all-time points list. 12 of the junior's 63 career points have come this season, four goals and four assists.
Kaylee Melendez recorded the assist, the second of her career.
Burnett managed to get off three shots in the road trip finale, while Sydney Quintero, Jocelyne Garcia and Isabella Spiva got off two each. The first three of the bunch recorded a shot in the first 20 minutes of the match.
Garcia had the best look but it was saved by Birdi. Birdi finished with three saves. The one save that she failed to make, Burnett's goal, snapped her streak of 344 minutes without allowing a goal.
The Bobcats busiest offensive stretch in the first half came in the final ten minutes. Burnett and Quintero attempted an equalizer, as did Miranda Thomas in the 41st minute.
The final ten minutes also was busy for Bobcats goalkeeper Ally Lozano, who was peppered with five shots and a corner kick during the stretch. She was tasked with two saves and made them both en route to eight saves on the afternoon.
In the second half, the Bobcats controlled possession early but after a UAV corner kick in the 56th minute, Lozano saw a shot or a corner kick come at her approximately once every two minutes.
The junior had to make saves in the 68th, 71st, 77th and 84th minute to keep the game even at one.
Only one shot was taken by either team in the first overtime period and it was an Osuna shot that was wide in the 96th minute.
The golden goal was the third shot on target in the second overtime period. UC Merced was unable to match the Pioneers shot total in overtime.
Despite the loss, UC Merced has won six of nine meetings against the Pioneers.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats return home to play Sierra Nevada College on Sunday, October 13. First touch is slated for 1:00pm on Bobcat Field.
