All that was missing from the Sac State soccer team’s modest 2004 season was a road victory.

Playing in their last game, the Hornets (6-12-1, 5-7 Mountain Pacific) finally did win away from home to finish the season, breaking a four-game losing streak in the process by beating San Jose State last Thursday night, 3-0.

Sophomore forward Ryan Rhoads scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season in the 51st minute on a ball to the left corner of the net. Junior midfielder Ricky Rodriguez was on the other end of the play, feeding Rhoads for his sixth assist of 2004.

In the 75th minute, Sac State struck again when senior forward Patrick Nelle, in his last game as a Hornet, sent a pass to sophomore forward Eli Millan to start a breakaway.

Millan deposited the Nelle pass into the back of the net, out of the reach of Spartan goalkeeper Daniel Benton. For Millan, it was his fifth goal of the season, also giving Nelle his third assist of 2004.

Rodriguez added to his point total for the day in the 80th minute when he sent a free kick from 25 yards out past Benton for his third goal of the season; all three of his goals in 2004 have come against San Jose State.

With the win, the Hornets got third place in the conference, a loss on Thursday would’ve given them last place.

“I was scared before the game, because it was either third place or last place for us,” sophomore midfielder Brandon Baggett said. “This was the one game we had to win and we did it; we proved everybody wrong that predicted we’d finish last.”

“We got that one road win we were looking for and this gives us some momentum towards next season,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “The bus ride home was unbelievable; the players were singing and chanting- it was great.”

Sac State goalkeeper Matt McDougall had four saves against the Spartans, which gives him 109 on the year, a program record for saves in one season by a Hornet.

“As a whole, I’m a little disappointed in the outcome of the season; we had a lot of players come in out of shape and injured, so we got off to a slow start,” Linenberger said. “We have to be more consistent if we want to become champions.

“But we had a lot of positives this year, too; Rhoads came out of nowhere and played great,” Linenberger said. “Next year, we have good recruits coming in, so things are looking up.”