HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's soccer team suffered a heartbreaking double-overtime loss on Saturday to Cal State San Marcos by a final score of 3-2 in the final game of the regular season.

The game was preceded by the annual "Senior Day" ceremony, which honored the careers of seniors Megan Massone, Nicole Lutz, and Janelle Herrera prior to their final match on a beautiful afternoon at Pioneer Stadium. When the action got going, the teams played a scoreless, relatively quiet first half, followed by a thrilling, back-and-forth second half. 

In the end, the Cougars netted the golden goal in the sixth minute of the second overtime period. The victory clinched a postseason berth for CSUSM, which will enter the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Pioneers finish the 2017 campaign 4-12-2 with a record of 1-9-2 in conference games.

The Cougars were the more aggressive team over the first 45 minutes, totaling four shots on goal and four corner kicks. The Pioneers, meanwhile, got just one shot attempt on goal in the opening half. However, neither team got a great scoring change and they headed to intermission at 0-0.

Things started getting crazy in the 51st minute, when San Marcos finally converted on one of its 13 corner kicks. The kick went to Amy Wilson, who headed the ball to Jessica Moreno, who booted it past Cheyanne Foster into the top of the goal.

Less than seven minutes later, the Pioneers evened the score. Freshman phenom Abby Buitrago fired a deep shot from outside the box that deflected off a defender into the top of the net. The rookie capped off an impressive campaign with her team-best fifth goal of the season.

The Cougars answered back 14 minutes later, as Morgan Simmons took advantage of a jumble in front of the goal following a corner kick, and booted it into the corner of the net.

The momentum appeared to be with the visitors, but another Pioneer freshman made her mark just a few minutes later. In the 79th minute, a ball got too far behind the Cougar defense and Nae'lani O'Neal capitalized, taking possession and beating the keeper 1-on-1 for her first career goal. She was East Bay's biggest aggressor on offense, leading the team with three shots on goal for the game.

Neither squad could net the game-winner over the final 11 minutes of regulation or the first overtime period, although both had multiple chances. The contest, and the 2017 season, finally ended when CSUSM's Lauren Perry out-leaped the defense on yet another corner kick and headed in the golden goal.

Overall, the Pioneer defense was strong in the open field, but the Cougars scored all three of their goals off corner kicks. San Marcos out-shot East Bay 18-12 in total, and Foster tallied six saves for CSUEB in goal.