SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Taylor Scott scored twice Saturday, including a golden goal early in overtime for Cal Poly Pomona, which capitalized on a first-half red card to defeat short-handed Seattle Pacific 2-1 in a non-conference women's soccer game.
 
Scott's first goal came in the 29th minute, less than five minutes after SPU defender Mariah Alexander was sent off after a hard foul. The Falcons benefited from an own goal 22 minutes into the second half that leveled the score.
 
The game-winner came during a scramble in front of the SPU goalmouth. The Broncos' Jessica Llamas had a shot blocked and the rebound caromed to Scott for the eight-yard put back into the lower-left corner at 91:24.
 
"I couldn't be prouder of my team that managed everything that they were in control of. Unfortunately, there's things that we're not in control of and those things got us today," said SPU coach Arby Busey. "It's disappointing, but I know that this team is resilient and they're going to come back from this."
 
The Falcons (2-4-0) finished the non-league portion of their schedule with back-to-back overtime games at PLNU Soccer Field. They defeated host Point Loma 2-1 on Thursday on a golden goal by Claire Neder in the seventh minute of the extra session. Sophomore goalkeeper Kaylie Nelson entered in the 12th minute of that contest to replace injured starter Riley Travis.

First Start Between the Posts
 

On Saturday, Nelson drew her inaugural starting assignment and responded with nine saves for SPU, which was outshot by a 21-6 margin.
 
Three saves stood out.
 
Llamas booted a low shot in the 21st minute that was heading for the right side of the goal before Nelson dove to deflect the ball from danger. Midway through the second half, she made a similar save with a dive near her right post. That one denied a shot by Scott.
 
Nelson preserved the tie with just over six minutes left in regulation. Ally LaCarra-Platt freed herself with the dribble in the right side of the box and lined a hard shot toward the left corner of the SPU goal. Nelson stretched out parallel to the ground to knock the ball past the post for a corner kick.
 
"Kaylie was great. She came up with a huge save for us at the end of regulation," Busey exclaimed. "She has just been a calming influence on the people in front of her. Kaylie's done a really good job of managing the situation that she's been put into."
 
The Falcons were credited with a 10th save when defender Asia Cayetano cleared a ball off the line near the right post on an 11th-minute shot by Ambria Pogue.
 
Sydney Williams was called upon to make just one save for Pomona (4-2-0).
 
The Red Card
The pivotal first-half ejection occurred at 23:49 with Scott streaking free into the Falcons half of the field. Alexander raced to catch up with her and make a sliding tackle 35 yards from the goal that knocked the ball away, but also took down the Broncos forward. The referee whistled for a foul and then showed Alexander a red card.
 
The Falcons played the remaining 67:35 with 10 players.
 
"I saw a referee make a decision today that put a team at a severe disadvantage for a long time," said Busey. "And the team that was at a disadvantage rose up and did everything they could to try to overcome that. Unfortunately, at the end of the day it didn't happen."


 
One Goal Apiece
Pomona opened the scoring at 28:26 when a left-side corner kick and flick set Scott up for a low, 10-yard strike inside the right post.
 
The Falcons nearly found an equalizer in the 31st minute on an attempt by Megan Moore from the left side. Her shot bounded off the crossbar near the right post.
 
The score evened at 1-1 when Cayetano delivered a long free kick deep into the box from just inside the Pomona half. The Broncos' Amanda Faber awkwardly got a head to the ball, but instead of a clearance the ball carried in for an own goal at 66:58.
 
"We did a really good job in the second half of creating a lot of good moments" Busey said. "We capitalized on one of them and had a couple others that could have been game-winners had a ball just broke our way a little bit in those moments."
 
Upcoming Action
The SPU women begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on the road next week, visiting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Saint Martin's on Saturday.
 
The Falcons' next home game is Oct. 3 against Concordia-Portland. Kick-off is 4:30 p.m. at Interbay Stadium as the opener of a doubleheader with the men's team.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, September 21, 2019
PLNU Soccer Field / San Diego, Calif.
 
Cal Poly Pomona 2, Seattle Pacific 1 (ot)
 
Scoring – 1, CPP, Taylor Scott (Taylor Rasmussen, Ambria Pogue), 28:26; 2, SPU, own goal, 66:58; CPP, Taylor Scott (Jessica Llamas), 91:24.
 
                       1   2  OT  --  TOTAL
Seattle Pacific        0   1   0  --    1
Cal Poly Pomona        1   0   1  --    2
 
Shots – SPU 6, CPP 21.
Saves – SPU 10 (Kaylie Nelson 9, Team 1), CPP 1 (Sydney Williams).
Corner Kicks – SPU 2, CPP 6.
Fouls – SPU 5, CPP 12.
Offsides – SPU 1, CPP 0.
Cautions -- SPU, Mariah Alexander, red card, 23:49.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 2-4-0
Cal Poly Pomona 4-2-0
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene
Thursday, Sept. 26, 4:00 p.m. PDT
NNU Soccer Field / Nampa, Idaho