San Diego State senior midfielder Cat Walker proved she is one of the best soccer players to ever wear an SDSU jersey on Sunday by scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 overtime victory against Air Force.
The Aztecs concluded their weekend road trip with a tense win against Air Force (6-9-3, 1-4 MW). The victory moves SDSU to 9-6-3 overall and 3-1-1 in Mountain West Conference play.
“Today’s game was a little more exciting than we would have liked,” Walker said.
The Aztecs, who were unbeaten in the last 10 matches against the Falcons, proved to remain the dominant team from the start.
SDSU’s offense kept its opponent’s defense busy with seven shots on goal in the first half alone. Sophomore midfielder Sophie Metz was the first to capitalize in the final third with a strike on goal within the first two minutes of play.
The Aztecs maintained primary possession of the ball throughout the first half. It took nearly 30 minutes until the Falcons were able to get their first shot on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Rachel Boaz was awarded her first and only save of the game.
Despite outperforming Air Force in the first 45 minutes of match play, SDSU was unable to finish scoring opportunities and the game remained scoreless at halftime.
The Aztecs’ momentum carried on into the second frame as SDSU’s strikers continued to create scoring chances in the offensive half. The Aztec’s defense remained just as strong shutting down the Falcon’s offense and allowing no shots in the half. As the clock ticked down and regulation time concluded, the score remained tied at zero and was sent into overtime.
Fifty-nine seconds was all it took for SDSU to triumph against Air Force thanks to a game-winning goal by Walker 10 yards out to the right corner. Freshman forward Kelsey Booth was credited with the assist.
“It was great to get a win against a well-conditioned and disciplined Air Force,” Walker said.
In addition to the win on Sunday, the Aztecs shut out Wyoming 1-0 this past Friday. Walker had a standout weekend scoring the game-winner at Wyoming as well.
“We are excited to be coming home with two wins,” Walker said. “We knew Friday was going to be a good game because Wyoming is a hard-working team. We’re looking to keep our momentum going to get another win on Friday versus UNLV.”
