Moraga, CA – Ashley Nied scored the game-winning goal, and added an assist, as the St. Mary’s (CA)(w) women’s soccer team posted a 2-1 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon from Saint Mary’s Stadium. With the win over the Bulldogs, Saint Mary’s closes its eight-game home stand with a 5-3 record, while improving to 7-5-0 overall.

“We won at home and that’s nice,” said head coach Kai Edwards after the game. “In progress as a program, to be 5-3 at home is nice, but I still don’t think its where we want to get to, and that’s to be a program that competing from the national tournament.”

In the waning seconds of the first half, Saint Mary’s broke a scoreless tie when Daelyn Paul scored on a header off a cross from reserve forward Tara Farrell with 11 seconds left on the clock.  Ashley Nied played a quick throw-in to Farrell, who took one-touch before making a perfect cross to the six.  Paul was there to finish the cross with a header to the upper right corner. The goal was the sixth of the season for the redshirt freshman midfielder.

“I’ll give my team credit, we did not stop playing at the end of the half, and we found a way to get a goal in the last 11 seconds. It was a quality service from Tara Farrell, followed by a great finish by Daelyn.”

Fresno State (2-8-0) answered quickly in the second half when Janna Sadowitz scored from six yards out, in the 49th minute. Sadowitz took a pass from Laura Dodd and hit a shot off the hands of SMC goalkeeper Tara Larson, to tie the game at 1-1 with exactly 41 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs nearly scored 90 seconds prior to the Sadowitz goal, when a shot by Callie Hancock hit the crossbar at the 47:31 mark.

Saint Mary’s regained the lead when Ashley Nied scored her third goal of the season in the 64th minute. Ashley Soro played a long cross perfectly over the Fresno State defenders to Nied.  Nied dribbled into the Bulldogs penalty box, then fired a shot to the far post from 12 yards out. The goal by Nied was the 10th of her career, and marked her fifth career game-winning goal.

After holding the Fresno State attack in check for the first half, allowing just two goals in 45 minutes, the Gaels’ defense had a difficult time against the Bulldogs in the second half. Fresno State took five shots in the second half, to finish the game with seven total, but had a number of threatening opportunities against the Gaels. SMC nearly scored an own goal, but the clear attempt by a Gaels’ defender hit off the crossbar before being cleared out of the zone.

After making a defensive change late in the game, Edwards commented, “I felt that the group that was back they’re left a lot to be desired.  We’re in the business of winning games, so we had to make a change, that we felt, was the best to win the game at that moment.  I don’t like to put Menzhuber back there, but the group that was there wasn’t getting the job done.”

Saint Mary’s outshot the Bulldogs 15-7 overall, while SMC goalkeeper Tara Larson made one save and allowed one goal.  Fresno State keeper Chrissy Smith, who was playing in her fore game of the season, allowed two goals in 90 minutes, while making eight saves. SMC finished the game with 10 shots on goal.

The Saint Mary’s women’s soccer team will return to action on Friday, October 2 when the Gaels travel to Davis, CA to take on the UC Davis Aggies.  Kick-off for the match between the Gaels and Aggies will kick-off at 4 p.m. from the Davis Soccer Stadium.