SEASIDE, Calif.- In a game in which they trailed until the final seconds of regulation, the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds stormed back in overtime to beat the Monterey Bay Sea Otters 12-10 Saturday afternoon. 

The Otters and the Sunbirds traded a pair of goals to open the first period.

The goals for the 'Birds came from Emily-Lopez Ibarra who converted off the penalty shot and Tatum Benson. 

CSUMB ended the first period with a goal off a power play to put them up 3-2 heading into the second. 

Another pair of goals from Lopez-Ibarra and Benson opened the second for the Sunbirds as they took their first lead of the game 4-3 with five minutes left in the second. 

The lead didn't last long as the Otters stormed back with three unanswered goals to end the second period up 6-4. 

Hannah Walker opened the third period with her first goal to bring the 'Birds back within one. 

The Otters ended the third with a goal to put themselves back up two 7-5 heading into the fourth.

The offense kept rolling into the fourth as Maddie Murad scored for the Sunbirds on their first possession of the period. 

Both the Sunbirds and the Otters scored on their following possessions with the Otter still maintaining the one goal lead. 

The match slowed to a defensive battle as both teams created turnovers and saves. 

With than five seconds left off a turnover by CSUMB, Lopez-Ibarra gathered the ball to pass to Murad who found the back of the net to even the score 8-8 to send the game into overtime. 

The Sunbirds struck first in the first overtime with a goal from Natalie Kisling, but the Otters answered back on the next possession knotting the game once more heading into the second overtime. 

In the second overtime, the 'Birds scored a trio goals from Benson, Lopez-Ibarra, and Maggie Cook to give them a two goal lead 12-9 with less than two minutes left. 

The Otters managed to convert one but it was as close as they would get as the Sunbirds completed the successful comeback taking the match 12-10. 

Benson and Lopez-Ibarra lead all team scoring with three goals each, while four other Sunbirds combined for the remaining four. 

It was a much needed win for the Sunbirds who retain a solid third place in the WWPA West region standings.

Fresno Pacific will travel back home for their remaining three regular season games left starting with welcoming Cal State East Bay Saturday at 1pm at Sunnyside Aquatics Center.

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