The Warriors soccer team collected their second California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship in the past three years with a 2-0 win over Sonoma State Sunday at Warrior Stadium.
The tournament’s most valuable offensive player, Stanislaus junior Katelyn Nebesnick, scored the game-winning goal.
Nebesnick was able to hammer home a penalty kick, her second of the playoffs, after senior Karenee Demery was taken down by Sonoma State goalkeeper Allison Hadidian on a break-away.
In the final minute of play, freshman Kristen Coleman put the final nail in the coffin as she scored off a feed from Demery.
This was the first and only time Demery would show up on the score sheet but the senior superstar was still impactful in drawing double and triple coverage throughout the playoffs. Both of Nebesnick’s goals came off of penalties drawn by Demery.
“Teams are welcome to try and take away Karenee,” head coach Gabe Bolton said. “She is such an unselfish player and is happy to be a decoy and to let other people score.”
With Sonoma State paying close attention to the Nation’s scoring leader, the rest of the Warriors were able to thrive offensively and defensively. The team totaled 5 shots on goal while the defense, led by goalkeeper Chelsea Lewandowski, held Sonoma to 1.
The game remained tied throughout the first half with both teams swapping scoring chances. After halftime the game began to shift in favor of Stanislaus, with the Warriors limiting the chances for the Seawolves.
“We just showed more composure in the second half,” Bolton said. “They were putting a lot of pressure at us and throwing everything they could at us, so we just had to stay composed and determined enough.”
The determination showed in the championship game as well as in the semi-finals when the Warriors went into halftime trailing 2-0 to Cal State Los Angeles.
In front of a raucous crowd that was stunned silent, everyone seemed to be panicking – everyone but Bolton.
“I told them at halftime, it is going to be an amazing comeback.” The 2013 Coach of the Year’s prediction fulfilled itself in spectacular fashion.
In the fifty-first minute Apryl Whitney found the back of the net and the Warriors found new life.
Later, Nebesnick arched a penalty shot over Cal State Los Angeles’ goalkeeper’s outstretched fingers, evening up the score and erupting the Warriors and their fans. The second half ended with the score 2-2 but it only took 90 seconds  for the Warriors to change that.
On the first shot of overtime, Sabrina Williamson’s shot, off of a cross by Maryssa McDuffy, found its way into the net and sealed the amazing comeback for the Warriors.
With both victories, the fifth ranked Warriors continue their undefeated season, upping their record to an incredible 18-0-2.
Their focus now shifts to the NCAA tournament, as they await the winner of Thursday night’s game between No. 4 Cal State San Bernardino and No. 5 Cal Baptist.
The Warriors beat both teams this season in early September with the score of 2-0 against Cal Baptist and 5-1 against Cal Sate San Bernardino.