Box Score: vs San Francisco

The Sacramento State men’s soccer team won a defensive battle against the University of San Francisco, 1-0, on Friday.

The Hornets only goal came in the 62nd minute when junior forward David Fraser converted for the Hornets.

Patrick Nelle was tackled in the Dons’ goal box allowing Fraser the opportunity to attempt the penalty kick, which he converted.

The goal was Fraser’s third of the season, tying him for the team lead. Hornet coach Michael Linenberger is pleased with the play of his junior forward.

“We lost one of our top strikers (Sean Luigs) from last year,” Linenberger said. “So we moved (Fraser) to that position.”

Freshman goalkeeper Matt McDougall played a solid game in net. McDougall had five saves, compared to the Dons’ goalkeeper Mark Muleady, who had no saves.

The shutout was the second of the season for McDougall.

“Obviously a shutout is great,” Linenberger said. “It’s only our second this year. Morale is up right now and we are excited to start conference play.”

The Hornets also put an end to the Dons’ three-game winning streak.

The Hornets and the Dons played to a scoreless first half with both teams stepping up defensively. The Hornets were only able to attempt eight shots, while the Dons attempted four.

The game remained scoreless in the second half, while the Dons nearly converted on a 52nd minute scoring chance by Cameron Kolovos, who could not convert on a one-on-one situation with McDougall.

With the win, the Hornets snapped a two-year winless streak against the Dons, with both games ending in a tie.

With the shutout, Sacramento feels confident heading into league play.

“We are very pleased with our play the past two weeks,” Linenberger said. “Hopefully that will help us going into conference play.”

Sac State took the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title last season, but are off to an 0-2 start to far in 2002.

The Hornets will hit the road for a crucial two game road trip. The Hornets will face Air Force Academy at Cadet Soccer Stadium on Friday , Oct. 18, at 1 p.m.

The Hornets will conclude the road trip as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play opens against the University of Denver on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m.