Watch Chavez's Game-Winner (Courtesy Big West TV)
FULLERTON, Calif. -- Senior Summer Chavez's first goal of the year, a shot from 30 yards in the third minute of overtime, sent the faithful home happy on Friday night, lifting host Cal State Fullerton to a come-from-behind, 2-1, extra-time victory over Hawaii in the Big West Conference opener for both teams at Titan Stadium.
The win kept the Titans unbeaten in their last four matches (3-0-1), improving them to 6-3-3 overall on the season an 1-0 in conference play. The victory snapped a two-match losing streak in league openers for Fullerton and winning at home for the first time in a Big West opener since 2009 against UC Riverside.
Hawaii evened its record at 5-5 overall with the defeat and 0-1 in league action, snapping a two-match winning streak for the Rainbow Wahine overall.
"Once again, I am very impressed with the attitude of our women," Head Coach Demian Brown said. "I give a lot of credit to Hawaii for a great match and I credit our seniors for pulling the program through tonight's game. The performance of Erica (Mazeau) and Summer's finish was exactly what we needed."
All three scores came after the break, but it all came down to the 93rd minute when Chavez juggled and spun around her defender, tucking a right-footed shot from 30 yards straight-away under the crossbar for the game-winner.
It was only her second career goal and her first since scoring a goal in a 3-2 win at UC Davis as a freshman on Oct. 8, 2010.
However, it was the Titans who were playing catch-up after Hawaii broke the scoreless deadlock in the 58th minute. Kama Pascua settled a ball that was flicked on by Krystal Pascua, and fired to the upper left-hand corner for her third of the season and a 1-0 lead.
The advantage didn't last long, however, as Mazeau -- the reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Week -- responded with her third of the year just over two minutes later. The senior took a pass from teammate Morgan Batcheller, beat a defender at the upper left-hand corner of the box, and fired back across to the right-side netting to tie the match at 1-1.
Mazeau, who entered Friday night with an assist in three-straight matches, now has points in each of her last four matches -- tied for the eighth-longest such streak in school history (2 goals, 3 assists, 7 points).
Senior goalkeeper Lindsey Maricic was again stellar in net, making five saves and getting help from teammates, who blocked four more shots -- including one off the foot of Kama Pascua in the box in the 28th minute and another in the 87th minute off a shot by leading-scorer Tiana Fujimoto on the doorstep.
Hawaii out-shot Fullerton, 17-11, for the match, led by four shots apiece from Krystal and Kama Pascua. Mazeau finished with three shots to lead the Titans, who held a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks -- including a 6-0 lead in the second half.
Cal State Fullerton closes out its homestand on Sunday (Oct. 6) at 6 p.m. as the Titans host defending Big West Tournament champion Cal State Northridge. The Matadors fell, 3-1, at UC Riverside on Friday night to open their conference schedule.
NOTES: Chavez's game-winner just 2:35 into overtime was the sixth-fastest in an OT in school history... Friday night marked Fullerton's fifth overtime match of the season -- and its third in the last four contests -- but the first that had not advanced to double overtime... the Titans are 2-0-3 in overtime... Of Fullerton's 12 matches this season, 10 have been decided by a single goal or less... three of the Titans' last four matches have ended with a 2-1 decision... Fullerton has scored seven times in its last four matches after scoring just five goals in its first eight matches combined.... Chavez became the ninth different Titan to score a goal this year.