The Cal State Northridge women’s soccer team (6-8, Big West 2-2) evened themselves in conference play Sunday afternoon after defeating UC Davis 1-0 in overtime at Aggie Soccer Field.

With the victory Northridge did not fall too far behind in conference play. The Matadors are in fifth place in the conference standings and have five games left, three of which are at home.

In her first career start, true freshman goalkeeper Cynthia Jacobo protected the net for the Matadors. With the injury bug hitting the goalkeeping position, she is the fourth different starting goalie for the Matador women this year. She finished the game with five saves, recording her first win and shutout ever.

This match was a well-played game on both sides. Northridge finished the game with 18 shots; UC Davis had 15. Despite going back and forth, the Matadors had the better of the chances and played a lot better on defense. For the first time all season, the Matadors did not allow any corner kicks.

Neither team was able to break through in regulation, registering a combined 25 shots. Overtime, on the other hand, was extremely fast paced, filled with scoring opportunities.

Following a Jacobo save, junior defender Desiree Cardenas played a give-and-go with freshman midfielder Melissa Fernandez, setting up junior forward Farryn Townley in the offensive end. Townley sent the one-timer into the back of the net in the 100th minute, giving Northridge the 1-0 win.

“I think this was the best game we played all year,” head coach Keith West said. “We brought a lot of energy and effort and it was a phenomenal victory.”

The win put CSUN back into contention for a Big West tournament berth.

For Townley, the goal was her team-leading seventh of the season. She is tied for fifth most in school history and now has 13 goals for her career. Townley has been the go-to player that coach West can count on during crunch time.

“We really brought our energy to the game and it was important to get these three points. We have a bunch of great teams in our conference and we need to keep winning,” Townley said.

Fernandez was credited with the assist on the goal, the first of her career. She played only 54 minutes, but had a profound impact on the game. She finished with three shots, one of which was on goal.

Junior midfielder Sonia Espitia also played well after struggling through her last two games. She had two shots and set up a number of scoring chances for the Matadors.

With momentum on their side, the Matadors will look to create a winning streak and a serious run for a playoff bid. They continue on the road at UC Riverside Friday night and then finish their road trip Sunday at Cal State Fullerton, two teams that are in the bottom half of the Big West standings.