The Chico State Wildcats (4-2-6, 1-1-3 CCAA) returned home for a cold and windy evening matchup against the Sonoma State Seawolves (4-4-4, 2-2-1 CCAA) Thursday. The Wildcats took the 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute and looked like they would maintain it, until the Seawolves scored late in the second half leading to a 1-1 draw.

The match started out with both teams playing strong defense as they combined for just one shot in the first 30 minutes of action. Senior forward Avery Pieri broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute with a goal from the top of the box on the Wildcats’ first shot of the game.

“I heard their coach tell the defender on me to drop back so I knew I had space to drive at her. Once I saw the space I cut inside, took the shot and it went in,” Pieri said.

The Wildcats seemingly had all the momentum heading into the second half, dominating much of the game in the midfield and outshooting the Seawolves five to three in the first half.

Both teams continued to play strong defense late into the second half, until in the 83rd minute when the Seawolves scored the equalizer off of a left-footed shot inside the near post from graduate student midfielder Ashley Frye.

With little time left in the match, the Wildcats were unable to score before time expired, ending in a 1-1 draw.

“I feel like it was a really solid game overall; we stuck to all of our game plans, and now it’s just working on the final piece, maybe getting one more goal or locking it down a bit more in the back,” Pieri continued. “I feel really confident about how we played today going into the rest of conference.”

The Wildcats will look to get back in the win column as they travel to Arcata to play Cal Poly Humboldt Sunday at 2 p.m.

For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.

Trevor Lee can be reached at [email protected].