Sacramento State’s women’s soccer team took another step towards the Big Sky Tournament Sunday with a 2-1 win over the Eagles of Eastern Washington.

As has been the case this year the Hornets came out sluggish in the first half, eventually falling behind 1-0 on Shelly Ikerd’s goal just 15 minutes in. Ikerd came free on a breakaway down the left side, poking one past Sac State keeper Jenny Lawrence. The goal came on the Eagles’ only shot of the first half.

As has also been the case this year, the Hornets came back to make the game tight. Just 33 seconds before halftime Sac State junior forward Katie McCoy was awarded with a penalty kick after being tackled from behind in the box.

McCoy, after missing a penalty kick earlier this season against Fresno State, buried it in the left upper corner to tie the game at one going into the half.

“I was actually trying to cross it,” McCoy said of the play that led to her fourth goal of the season. “I don’t think it was really a foul, but I fell so I got it.”

The Hornets may have won the first half, outshooting the Eagles 12-to-one, but that was only the beginning. The second half saw Sac State take 15 shots to Eastern Washington’s four, which led to the deciding goal for Sac State.

Senior forward Kelly Novak fired a shot at Eagles keeper Tiera Como only to have it deflected back out to her. Novak struck it again and put the ball past the reigning Big Sky co-Defensive Player of the Year in the 83rd minute.

“I said to myself ‘I am not going to miss this again,'” Novak said of her two consecutive attempts. The goal was Novak’s third of the year.

The only thing that saved the game from getting out of hand may have been the play of Como.

“(Como) played great today,” Novak said. “She didn’t win player of the year for nothing.”

The win pushed Sac State (8-6-2, 2-1-1) into a three-way tie for second in the Big Sky with Weber State and Montana. Idaho State leads the way with a 3-1-0 conference record.

The Hornets outshot the Eagles by a tally of 27-to-five in what was a dominating second half performance. McCoy, who seemingly did whatever she wanted against the Eagles defense, led the way with seven shots, four of them on goal.

Sac State finishes up its home schedule on Friday with a game against Northern Colorado at 3 p.m. at Hornet Soccer Field. The game will mark the final regular season home game for seniors Maggie Murphy, Natalia Romo and Novak.