LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Sophomore Aileen Galicia fired in the game-winning goal Friday evening, giving the NM State women's soccer team its first win of 2016 in overtime.
 
The win on Friday is NM State's third home-opening victory and the first since 2013 when the Aggies defeated Omaha 3-1. The other came against Prairie View A&M, a 4-0 win in 2011. Galicia also gave NM State its seventh overtime win in program history and first since the 2-1 win over CSU Bakersfield in the final match of the regular season in 2013. Friday's victory was also NM State's first win over Texas State. The Aggies were 0-3 previously against the Bobcats.
 
"We've been playing well and I've been really proud of the effort and progress we've made," Aggie head coach Freddy Delgado said. "It was just a culmination of everything we've been working on."
 
The Aggies (1-4-0) wasted no time in the second overtime period as they paced down the field. After an errant pass into the box, Galicia made her way towards the ball after it ricocheted off a Texas State (2-2-1) defender and pounded in the golden goal at the 101:01 mark.
 
A lot led up that moment but at the end of the evening, it was the Aggie defense that kept the Bobcats offense frustrated – despite outshooting NM State 17-7.
 
Both teams headed into the locker room fairly even against one another with the Aggies trailing the Bobcats just 3-1 in shots.
 
The NM State defense was tested once again in the second half as Texas State rifled off 12 shots to the Aggies' one. But, like the first half, the Bobcats just didn't have many good looks on goal thanks to Las Cruces native, Cristina Bertoldo, along with Dominique Rivera, Samantha Afonso and Danielle Smith.
 
"Our defending has gotten better," Delgado said. "When I say that, it doesn't just mean our defenders and goalkeepers. Our team defending from forwards to midfielders to defenders and our goalkeepers has gotten a lot better. That's something we're starting to rely on because we know if we can shut teams out, we can give ourselves a chance.
 
The Aggies took the first shot of overtime on the foot of Gabby Campbell, but had no luck. The Bobcats responded after the substitution as Rachel Grout fired off back-to-back shots. However, Ashley Martin made a great stop on the first shot with the second getting blocked by a band of Aggie defenders in the box.
 
Martin went the distance between the pipes and finished with three saves. Friday's win gave Martin her first solo shutout and the first since 2014 when Taylor Rice earned the 3-0 win over CSU Bakersfield in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
 
NM State concludes the short homestand on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 11:30 a.m. when it entertains Wyoming. The Aggies hold a 2-0 lead in the all-time series against the Cowgirls.
 
POSTGAME NOTES: NM State is now 3-4-1 all-time when playing in home-openers…5-of-8 home-openers have been taken into overtime with the Aggies going 1-3-1…last time NM State went into the second overtime period, it lost to Eastern Washington 2-1 in 2015 – a home opener as well…this was Galicia's first-career game-winning goal…Bertoldo was subbed out of the game for the first time in five matches so far this season to start her Aggie career…Friday was the first time NM State didn't have a different starting line-up.