MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's soccer team erased an early 2-0 deficit, but ultimately fell 3-2 to first-place Chico State on Sunday's Senior Day match.
The Bobcats fell to 6-6-3 overall and 3-5 in the CCAA. UC Merced celebrated is nine seniors prior to the match.
Chico State struck first in the 70th second from 25 yards out. The goal came off a UC Merced turnover in the midfield and Hannah Pieri beat the Bobcats leaping goalkeeper.
The Wildcats scored again on a counterattack in the seventh minute. Makayla Cruz-Martinez's first shot was blocked but she got her own rebound with an empty net and put her next attempt into the goal.
UC Merced got right back into the match with Trinidad Quiroz's team-leading seventh goal of the season. She received a pass from Liliana Johnson in the Bobcats attacking third and then took her defender one-on-one and created enough space to get off a strong shot from 30 yards out. Quiroz lasered her shot over the leaping keeper. Johnson's assist was her first of the season.
Jackie Tamayo tied the game 2-2 with a bicycle kick the 33rd minute off a cross from Sonya Gregoris. Tamayo received the cross right on the goal line after a deflection from the Wildcats keeper. The goal marked Tamayo's first in a UC Merced uniform. Gregoris registered her first career assist.
The score remained 2-2 going into halftime with Chico State holding a 6-5 shot advantage and winning the corner kick battle 4-0.
Each team had two shots saved in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Chico State scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 78th minute. The Wildcats played a long ball to the top of the 18-yard box that saw two Bobcats, including the goalkeeper, and one Wildcat meet at the ball, but the Wildcat got a touch on it first and put a header towards goal and a teammate was at the goal line to tap it in. Laila Hadid was credited with the game-winning goal.
Lexi Wright, Hannah DeLay, and Lizzie Ledesma took a shot at an equalizer inside of five minutes but the Bobcats came up empty. Ledesma's shot was on target and it wasn't saved cleanly, but the keeper was able to recover right in front of the charging Elisa Garcia who was going in for the rebound.
The Bobcats finished the match outshooting Chico State 14-13. Shots were tied 7-7 on frame. Tamayo held match-high with four shots on frame.
Hannah Andreasen earned her first career start between the posts and split the 90 minutes with Alicia Lepe. Andreasen made one save. Lepe finished with three saves and passed Veronica Vazquez for fifth in program history with 74 career saves.
Kacey Rodriguez made her first career start, while Diana Rico and Johnson made their first starts of the season.
Preeya Singh, Macy Max, Katy Flores, DeLay, and Tamayo played the full 90 minutes.
Flores passed Sydney Quintero and moved into a three-way tie for eighth in program history with 57 career starts.
Up next, UC Merced will host Cal Poly Humboldt on Friday, October 31. First touch from Bobcat Field is scheduled for 12:30pm.
