SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento State picked up a loose ball in the box in the 98th minute and deposited it into the back of the net as the Hornets downed visiting UC San Diego, 2-1, in overtime Saturday afternoon at Hornet Field.
Sacramento State improved to 4-8-3 overall and 2-2-2 in Big West play. The Tritons have now dropped four straight one goal decisions, falling to 4-9 (1-5).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons had their first quality scoring chance early, putting a shot on frame in the fourth minute.
Max Carvalho crossed the ball in the six to a waiting
Nick Cirrito, but Cirrito's shot was saved by Sacramento State keeper Ryan Curtis.
In the 17', Sacramento State had its best scoring opportunity of the first half when Alejandro Padilla fired a shot low from point blank range, but UC San Diego keeper nick Shor made a kick save with the right foot to keep the match scoreless.
Just into the match in the 27th minute, Tritons forward
John Foltyn ran on and fired a shot that hit the left post.
In the final minute of the first half, the Hornets had a great scoring chance, playing a dangerous ball inside the box. Sacramento State was unable to get organized, and the ball trickled out over the goal line for a UC San Diego goal kick.
Both Shor and Curtis were credited with two first half saves. The Tritons held a slight 6-5 shot advantage, and the Hornets earned the only two corner kicks of the first half.
UC San Diego took the lead in the 53rd minute of Cirrito's team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Max Carvalho played the ball to Cirrito whose header found the top left of the net, putting the visitors in front, one-nil.
The Hornets tied the match in the 78' thanks to a header from Francisco Magana.
In overtime, each team worked to get a quality scoring chance. Late in the 98th minute, the Tritons turned it over inside the box. The ball was collected by the Hornets' Tyler Moss who quickly found Titus Washington. Washington's strike beat Shor to give Sacramento State the win.
QUOTABLE
"This was a little more of an open game than we're used to," said UC San Diego head coach
Jon Pascale. "We created several quality chances and when we look back at it, we'll be kicking ourselves that we didn't convert and add on when we had the lead. I will say that our resilience is impressive. We've taken some punches but the guys keep battling."
TRITON TIDBITS
- This was UC San Diego's second overtime match of the season, with the other coming against Santa Clara on Sept. 11.
- Saturday was the first meeting between the Tritons and Hornets.
- The match was the first and only afternoon contest on the Tritons' 2021 schedule. No other UC San Diego match started prior to 5 p.m. local time.
- Nick Shor made his second consecutive start in goal for the Tritons, making five saves.
- Through 13 matches this season, the Tritons have surrendered only four first half goals.
- Sophomore back Adam Walker checked in to the match in the 25th minute – his first action since Sept. 3.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego continues Big West play on Wednesday, when the Tritons travel to UC Irvine. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match can be seen on ESPN+.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
