DAVIS, Calif. — Down a goal after only two minutes, and trailing by two scores midway through the first half, the UC Davis women's soccer team got a pair of goals from redshirt freshman Casey Palmer to erase the deficit and forge a 3-3 draw with second-place Long Beach State in a wild Big West Conference battle on Thursday afternoon at Aggie Soccer Field.

The Aggies improved to 6-7-4 overall and 3-2-2 in league play, remaining in contention of one of four coveted Big West tournament berths after competing in their third consecutive overtime contest and remaining unbeaten (2-0-2) in their last four.

"I think we're a little bit deeper than we have ever been and this group is a little bit more battle-tested because of that," Head Coach Twila Kaufman said. "I think they're just starting to see how good they can actually be. There's been layers, lots and lots of layers, and it's just neat to see that those things are all starting to click and come together at the same time."

Thursday's three goals were a season high and the most for a UC Davis squad since a 4-0 victory over UC Riverside on Oct. 16, 2016, while the six combined goals were the most in a match since a 4-3 victory at CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 20, 2011. The 3-3 draw was also the highest-scoring tie for the Aggies since they battled San Francisco State to a similar result at home on Oct. 14, 1994.

The 49ers moved to 9-5-3 overall and 4-1-2 in conference play with the result.

Long Beach State wasted no time in getting on the board just 1:36 into the contest when Sarah Pilster launched a free kick from just outside the 18 toward the left-hand side of the box that deflected off a player in traffic and caught the UC Davis defense moving the wrong way, rolling over the line on the right side for the 1-0 lead.

Pilster's goal was the fifth-fastest by an Aggie opponent, and the quickest since Sacramento State's Maggie Pleis scored in 67 seconds on Aug. 24, 2015.

Junior communication major Janae Gonzalez responded just two minutes later with the equalizer in the fourth minute curling a corner kick into the net at the back right post for her second goal of the season to make it 1-1 — scoring for the first time since Sept. 30 at Cal Poly when she netted a similar goal against the Mustangs in a 2-0 victory.

From there, the 49ers threatened to run away with the match as Katie Pingel broke the tie in the 25th minute, and an own goal just under two minutes later gave the visiting side a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 advantage.

However, the Aggies did not quit, pulling to within a goal late in the first half as Palmer lofted a ball toward the net that goalkeeper Imani McDonald was able to stop, but the shot spun out of her hands and was fumbled over the line, making it, 3-2, in the 39th minute.

The score was the first of Palmer's career as she became the ninth different UC Davis player to find the back of the net this season.

The Brick, N.J., native then collected her second score of the season in the 59th minute to bring the Aggies level, settling a cross from teammate Hailey Rittershofer and rocketing a shot from inside the 18 to complete the comeback and tie the match at three-all.

Palmer's brace was the first multi-goal match by a UC Davis player this season and the first since Rachel Ahr scored twice in that 4-0 victory against UC Riverside in 2016.

"I am so proud of her," Kaufman said. "You're just beginning to see her getting comfortable and hot at the right time. I could not be more proud of her. She gave me goosebumps today."

In the first overtime, senior materials science and engineering major Alexis Smith turned away a 49ers scoring opportunity just three minutes in, and Long Beach State's Taylor Bistline had a flicked header sail just wide right as neither team scored in the first 10 minute extra time period.

The second overtime period saw UC Davis turn up the pressure as senior human development major Crystal Crump had a shot sail high just 55 seconds into the period, and junior anthropology major Laura Nichol was turned away by McDonald just 43 seconds later.

Mere inches separated the 49ers from a victory as Rola Badawiya put just a little too much english on a ball from distance that glanced off the right post in the 103rd minute, and the Aggies had a late flurry that saw sophomore international relations major Mahlah Catline stopped by McDonald, with the rebound by Rittershofer cleared off the line by a Long Beach State defender.

Crump had another attempt with just under two minutes to play go wide and junior human development major Emma Hasco's free kick following a card was smothered by McDonald with 1:28 to play.

Smith finished with eight saves on the day, while McDonald stopped seven shots, as UC Davis finished with a 19-18 advantage in the shot column — both teams putting 11 attempts on frame for the contest.

The regular season comes to an end on Sunday (Oct. 28) at 2 p.m., as the Aggies host UC Riverside. Fans are asked to show up early as UC Davis will honor its senior class as part of "Senior Day" festivities at approximately 1:40 p.m.

"Every time we did something today, it felt like we had a wave of energy from the crowd behind us," Kaufman said. "I would encourage anybody in the community to come out and show their support. Help us bring it home."

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.