Erica Mazeau 'Golden' as Titans Outlast Hawaii

Erica Mazeau  - Photo by Matt Brown, Sept. 30, 2012
Erica Mazeau - Photo by Matt Brown, Sept. 30, 2012

HONOLULU -- Two nights ago, junior Erica Mazeau was in the right place at the right time to help her sister, JeAnne, score the overtime game-winner to beat Cal State Northridge. Sunday night, she took things into her own hands as she outran a pair of Hawaii defenders and buried the game-winning shot to the lower right corner with just under two minutes remaining in the second overtime period, lifting Cal State Fullerton to a, 1-0, victory over host Hawaii on a humid night at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

The win was a season-best third-straight victory for the Titans, who improved to 6-7 overall and 3-1 in Big West Conference play while winning in their inaugural trip to the Islands after all seven of the previous meetings between the two schools had been played in Fullerton.

The Rainbow Wahine fell to 6-6-2 overall and 1-2 in Big West play, suffering their first loss at home this season and ending their 12-match home unbeaten streak.

Fullerton, which was doubled-up in the shot column by a 16-8 count, put six of its eight shots on frame, but none more important than the last in the 109th minute as freshman Morgan Batcheller started the counter attack following a Hawaii corner kick with a clearing header near the top of Fullerton's own 18. The ball found the feet of Mazeau, who was sent off to the races for 60 yards, outrunning a pair of defenders and beating goalkeeper Kanani Taaca to the lower right for her first career goal.

The score came just two minutes after the Rainbow Wahine nearly tallied the game-winner as Chelsea Miyake's shot from 20 yards out looped over the defense and deflected off the crossbar.

Junior Lindsey Maricic earned her second shutout of the weekend, and her fourth overall, making five saves in the victory. Senior Stacey Fox led all Titans with three shots (all on frame) on the night while Tiana Fujimoto finished with three for Hawaii.

Fullerton put three shots on frame in the opening half, but were turned away in each instance by Taaca, who also finished with five saves for the match. The second half was a different story, however, as the Titans were held to just a single attempt, a header by Fox in the 63rd minute following three-straight corner kicks by Fullerton, that Taaca saved to keep the match scoreless.

Hawaii, meanwhile, turned up the offense, keeping Maricic busy with nine shots in the second half, four of them saved and another blocked by the defense. Miyake also had an attempt in the final 30 seconds of regulation sail just high to force the extra periods.

Fox and junior Lauren Mellano each had headers for the Titans in the first overtime and Erica Mazeau had an attempt sail just wide left five minutes into the second overtime before converting on her game-winner.

Cal State Fullerton returns to Titan Stadium next weekend to kick-off a three-match homestand, hosting UC Riverside on Sunday (Oct. 14) at 6 p.m.

NOTES: Cal State Fullerton has not been shutout in 2012, and extended a streak that dates back to a 1-0 loss against Cal State Northridge on Oct. 20, 2011 -- a span of 16 matches... Sunday's 1-0 win marked the 11th one-goal match for the Titans in 13 contests this season and the fourth that ended with a 1-0 score... Sunday's win improved the Titans to 2-2 in overtime this season... Fullerton's three-match winning streak is its longest since the Titans won four straight from Sept. 11-22 last season... With her goal, Erica Mazeau became only the seventh different Titan to score a goal this season to go with her six assists.

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