COLLEGE STATION — North Texas fought back from a two-goal deficit, but a goal in overtime gave No. 16 Long Beach State a 3-2 win over the Mean Green on Sunday.
“I’m very proud of the way my girls battled against a team ranked as high as 11th in the country this year and went to the elite eight a year ago,” North Texas head coach John Hedlund said. “We definitely showed what we’re about this past weekend.”
North Texas (5-1-1) played to a scoreless tie against Baylor on Friday before playing the team’s fourth overtime game of the season Sunday.
The 49ers (6-2-0) opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when Nadia Link scored her first of three goals. She added her second goal in the 24th minute to extend the lead to 2-0.
In the Mean Green’s first game in more than three years against a ranked team, junior defender Kelsey Hodges scored her fifth goal of the season in the 36th minute to slice the North Texas deficit in half.
Midway through the second half, North Texas freshman Karla Pineda tied the game at 2-2. Pineda took a pass from senior forward Michelle Young before scoring her third goal of the season in the 66th minute.
The Mean Green had chances late in regulation to take the lead, but 49ers goalkeeper Marinna Meyers made key saves to keep the game tied. Meyers made six saves, while North Texas goalkeeper Jackie Kerestine made nine.
In overtime, Link finished off the hat trick and the game in the 97th minute following a Long Beach State corner kick and sent the 49ers to their sixth win of the season.
North Texas picks up a loss for the first time this season, and allowed more than one goal in a game for the first time since last September against Cal State Fullerton. That streak lasted 18 games, which is the longest run in school history.
The Mean Green returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday on the road against No. 3 Oklahoma State.
