For most of the game, the Sacramento State men’s soccer team looked lost on Friday afternoon against the Denver Pioneers. The team constantly struggled to find teammates on passes and made questionable decisions while the Pioneers kept the pressure on the Hornets’ defense.

Sacramento State, however, was able to find the back of the net during their search for a second win in conference play.

Junior Oscar Sandoval, who helped the team gain their first conference win against UNLV on Oct. 16 with a last minute goal, was once again the man of the match as the Hornets beat the Pioneers 3-0.

First, he scored the early go-ahead goal when he headed a strike from Jesse Manton, junior, past Matt Bredehoft, Denver’s sophomore goalkeeper.

Later in the half, Sandoval added to his point total by assisting on the second goal of the first half for Sac State. Ryan Rhoads, a junior, was the recipient of a Sandoval cross and used his head to bang in the goal.

Finally, in the second half, with the Hornets still leading 2-0, Sandoval finished off his performance by assisting on the game-clinching goal scored by senior Ricky Rodriguez, who took a through ball and scooted the ball past the sliding goalie.

“2-0 is the most dangerous lead that you can have going into the half,” Sandoval said. “We were nervous, but that third goal made it a lot easier.”

While the offense was capitalizing on their few opportunities, the defense was keeping the Hornets in the game early on. Despite numerous turnovers in their defense zone, the center of Sac State’s defense snuffed out many of the Pioneers attempts at goals. Freshman Jeff Buddenbohn and junior Utodi Madu were two of the most active players the entire game, especially in the early minutes but it wasn’t just them keeping the shut out intact.

“The defense played well,” Madu said. “But all the credit has to go to the strikers because they came out and brought it against a good team.”

Also on the defensive line during the match were Manton, junior Eric Ortiz and freshman Adam Owens, who allowed just five shots on goal during the game.

Notes: Denver’s Ben Mendozza, junior, was forced to leave the game early due to a gash on the back of his head – The Hornets remain unbeaten at home and in fourth place, four points behind first place Air Force, in conference play, and 7-4-1 overall while the Pioneers fall to 5-6-1 on the season with only a single win in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation after once again not scoring a goal for the third consecutive match … Next, Sac State faces off against the league leaders, Air Force, at Hornet Soccer Field on Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. before departing for the team’s final road trip of the season, which begins on Oct. 28 at Denver.