Sacramento State women’s soccer defeated Bakersfield Friday 2-1 after a corner kick by sophomore Maggie Pleis was put in the net by sophomore Kassidy Kellogg, breaking the tie with about six minutes left in the game.

“I got the ball and I had the time to shoot it and kick it in, and I just took off running away because I was so happy,”  Kellogg said.

Seconds before the end of the first half, the Hornets took the lead after senior Kassi Anast, a defender, scored her first career goal on a lob into the box by sophomore Lydia Bowman.

A lob shot in soccer intends to kick the ball vertically, away from the goalkeeper’s reach, with the intent of it coming back down allowing for another player to score.

“I saw the ball coming from Lydia, it was a perfect ball,” Anast said. “I was just trying to keep it at my feet and get it in the back of the net.”

Bakersfield quickly recovered in the 50th minute and continued to attack with possession of the ball for most of the second half.

Anast said the team needs to work on having consistent energy throughout the game as well as strategies that align with the team’s core values of maintaining a lead during a game.

“We need to focus the whole game and play smart all the way through,” Anast said.

Sac State (2-1-0) had a 12-7 shot advantage over Bakersfield (0-3-0).

For shots on goal, the Hornets led with 8-4 and had a 7-2 edge in corner kicks. Additionally, the 12 Hornet shots were taken by eight different athletes.

With a tie late in the game, Hornet goalkeeper Kimberly Mata punched out the ball by launching left, preventing a Bakersfield lead in the 75th minute.

“We didn’t play that well as a whole,” said head women’s soccer coach Randy Dedini. “ A lot of players were off their game today, but good teams find a way to win and I feel like we are a good team this year.”

The team will be working on controlling the ball in the final five minutes of the game with different strategies for whether they are winning or losing, Dedini said.

In three games this season, Hornet goalkeeper Kimberly Mata has made three saves and allowed two goals.

Bakersfield’s goalkeeper Tori Ornela stopped the ball six times for the Roadrunners.

Sac State will compete against San Jose State for its first away game Sunday Aug. 31.