Overtime Goal Sends Jacks Past Gators

Humboldt State women’s soccer beat San Francisco State in overtime

After experiencing a rough patch in last weekend’s Southern California matches, the Jacks focused on rejuvenating their strategies against San Francisco State.

In the first half, SF State fought hard for ball possession, creating shot opportunities that were met with resistance from Jacks’ goalkeeper Katelin Talbert.

Midfielder Lindsey Stoner broke through and took a shot on goal, but a slide save by San Francisco player Illiana Gallegos deflected the effort. Shortly after, the Jacks were presented with a second shot attempt by midfielder Sabine Postma, but the crossbar above the net deflected the ball.

The pressure put on SF’s offense forced them to shoot the ball during untimely situations. Although HSU had fewer shots during the first half, the up-close-and-personal tactics from the Jacks created an uneasy atmosphere that made it difficult for SF to focus.

The first period concluded with an impressive show of speed as both teams made a final push to add a point on the board. The second period saw a shift in strategy for SF as they began the period with an immediate shot on goal, which was quickly met with a save by Talbert.

The Jacks found themselves in another overtime scenario, and the team gathered around Head Coach Paul Karver to discuss their strategy. After the time-out, Stoner was back on possession and broke through for a scoring chance. She was thwarted, but moments later would return with the help of Pikake Hix to score the game-winning goal.

After the excitement settled down and players cleared the field, Talbert spoke on the team’s ability to remain calm and play steady.

“When they play the ball back to me the other team doesn’t press as hard,” Talbert said. “It helps since our players are already on edge and need some time to focus.”

Lindsay Stoner reflected on her teams’ effective offense strategies, which helped the Jacks secure a much-needed overtime win over SF.

“We made them nervous,” Stoner said. “We kept attacking them and kept them on their toes because we knew we needed this goal and we were inspired to win it.”

Stoner produced six shots against SF and stayed consistent with keeping the rhythm going.

The focus for now is the upcoming weekend as HSU squares off against Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. Karver expects the opponents to be resilient towards the Jacks as their quest to secure points continues.

“These are teams with two very polarizing styles of play, not the prettiest of football since there will be a lot of fouls and awkward emotion afterwards,” Karver said. “We got the points we needed today, and now we gotta get six more next weekend, but it’s one game at a time, and we’re really excited to have the opportunity.”

Two games remain and the Jacks look forward to getting more points before the end of the season. This weekend the Jacks will host Dominguez Hills and Cal-State LA for afternoon games at College Creek Field.