HILLSBORO, Ore. – Amy Aquino scored a golden goal in the 100th minute to help CSUN Women’s Soccer (1-1-1) defeat Portland State, 2-1, and earn its first win of the season on Sunday afternoon at Hillsboro Stadium. Bethany Fitzsimmons netted her second goal of the year late in the second half while Alyssa Aguilar finished with two assists for the match. Taylor Thames picked up three saves to notch her first collegiate win in goal.

“These kinds of wins on the road and in overtime are character wins,” said head coach Keith West. “We played with a lot of character throughout the match that it was only a matter of time before the goals started coming. We had a lot of quality out there, and this is by far the most complete game we’ve played this year.

“Our back row has been the most consistent part of our team this season, even though our defense as a whole has been inconsistent,” continued West. “Today, we limited them very well, and we stuck to the game plan we had set out.”

The Matadors out-shot the Vikings 17-6 on Sunday and racked up six shots on goal compared to four on the opposite side. A total of 31 fouls were committed in the match with the Vikings holding a 19-12 edge. The Vikings’ Sofi Papastamos and Krystal De Ramos were also whistled for yellow cards.

The first half proved to be a defensive struggle as the Matadors registered all three of the shot attempts over the 45 minutes of action. Alyssa Aguilar nearly gave the Matadors the lead in the 25th minute off a shot from above the 18-yard mark but Abbie Faingold knocked the ball out of play.

Later in the half, Aguilar found room at the top of the box but missed wide of the net. CSUN had perhaps its best chance in the final minutes the half. Amy Aquino dribbled the ball down the left wing and brought Faingold out of position with a cross. Before the Matadors could finish the play, the Vikings’ defense deflected the pass out, keeping the match scoreless.

The second half saw more shot attempts from both sides but goals were still hard to come by for most of the period. Thames notched her first save in the 55th minute off a shot from Rilee Castilla. Payton Jo Armijo returned the favor in the 60th minute but Faingold prevented the shot from hitting the back of the net.

The Matadors began to gain the upper hand offensively, leading to a pair of offside calls going against them. After Amanda Martin shot high of the net in the 77th minute, Fitzsimmons checked in to the game and quickly made her presence felt.

Off a counterattack, Fitzsimmons received a pass from Aguilar and dribbled inside the box where she finished low at the near post to put CSUN ahead 1-0 at the 77:40 mark.

CSUN’s lead would be short-lived, however, as the Vikings answered right back less than six minutes later. Portland State worked its way deep inside the Matador box, and after a few touches Ellie Vasey cleaned up the play to even the match.

The Matadors looked for the go-ahead goal late in regulation as Lindsay Kutscher, Destinney Duron and Aquino all had their shots blocked. Sydney Gilbert took the Matadors’ final shot in the 90th minute but the match would head to overtime tied up at 1-1.

CSUN quickly went to work in extra time with Marissa Favela putting a pair of shots on goal in the first five minutes. The Matadors were called offside twice in the period before CSUN put up one last attack in the final minute. Armijo dribbled the ball up the right sidelines where she found Aguilar on the wing. Aquilar would bring the defense to her side before crossing the ball nicely to the left. Aquino finished the play at about the five-yard mark to notch her first career game winner.

The golden goal is the first for a Matador since Favela scored a game winner against Utah Valley last season (8/27/17). The victory is the first road win in overtime since Cynthia Sanchez notched a golden goal at UC Santa Barbara two seasons ago (10/6/16). Going back to last season, the Matadors have now played in overtime in five of the last seven matches.

Making her season debut, senior Kirsten Von Meter played the full 99 minutes in the Matadors’ midfield while Armijo, Lindsay Kutscher and Amanda Martin also played every single minute.

CSUN returns home next Thursday to take on UNLV. Kickoff from Matador Soccer Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.