GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota women's soccer team dropped a double-overtime affair to Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, falling to the Roadrunners 2-1 in non-conference action at Bronson Field.
CSUB sophomore Veronica Ramos scored the game-winning goal with just over four minutes remaining in the second overtime when she controlled a through ball from Martiza Rumbo and dribbled around UND goalkeeper Monica Stierman (Mahtomedi, Minn.) to send home the winning shot from eight yards out.
"Our kids came out to play in the first half, battled the wind in the second half with no shots on the goal," UND head coach Kristen Gay said. "It is tough to get anything going, but it was another overtime game that we just could not put away."
For the Sioux, it was their fifth overtime tilt of the season and third they lost during the second overtime session.
Strong winds dictated play throughout the match, as the Sioux opened the contest using those winds to their advantage to muster up a pair of decent scoring chances in the opening three minutes of the match. However, CSUB goalkeeper Kym Gause was up to the challenge, stopping both shots on goal.
After play settled down for a while, the Roadrunners were able to strike first when Brittany Thomas scored on a breakaway in the 13th minute. Thomases' first goal of the season staked the visitors to a 1-0 lead as the assist went to freshman Yesenia Reyes.
The Sioux evened things up at 1-1 when sophomore Rachael Loomis (Fargo, N.D.) sent a corner kick in past Gause in the 36th minute. Loomis' goal was her team-leading ninth of the season.
UND kept Gause busy in the first half as she made four saves before the break, while Stierman was forced to stop just two CSUB shots. UND outshot the Roadrunners 10-5 in the opening 45 minutes.
That advantage changed quickly in the second half as CSUB had the wind at its back and controlled possession for a majority of the period. The Roadrunners held a 14-3 advantage in shots after the break and Stierman withstood a flurry of Roadrunner scoring chances in the opening five minutes when they sent five shots on goal.
Steirman kept the Sioux in the game, making eight of her 12 saves after intermission. "Monica came up huge for us," Gay added. "She had a couple of really big saves and kept us in the game, especially in the second half going against the wind."
Loomis had a chance to end the contest in regulation in the closing seconds as she broke free behind the Roadrunner defense, but her strike from the left side hit the post and ricocheted off Gause and was cleared away by a CSUB defender.
The Roadrunners kept the pressure on in the first overtime, once again with the wind at their back, outshooting the Sioux 3-1. Neither team could capitalize in the opening extra session. For the second overtime, the teams changed sides of the field and UND reeled off three shots, but only one was on goal and that was saved by Gause.
After making four saves in the first half, Gause had to make just two the rest of the way as Ramos sealed the victory for the visitors when she slid behind the Sioux defense for her first goal of the season.
It was the final regular season match of the year for the Sioux (2-13-2, 0-5-1 GW), who will now turn their attention to the Great West Conference Tournament scheduled for Newark, N.J. next weekend (Nov. 6-9).
