Sacramento State’s women soccer may have been relieved with their win yesterday in a game that should have been a shoe-in.

After Sac State’s forward Katie McCoy scored a goal early in the first half, the Hornets put on the defense. From there, it was more of a general thrashing on Menlo, who suffered their first defeat of the season as the Hornets improved their record to 5-2-0, the best start they’ve had in program history. For McCoy, the goal marked her third of the season.

In the 26th minute Menlo would answer back, tying the match after a Hornet turnover. The Oaks’ Rachel Anden capitalized on what was seemingly a routine defensive goal keep. At times the Hornets team seemed to underestimate the Oaks and their ability. Something that Head Coach Katie Poynter says the team will have to work on. “We need to put all our chances away,” Poynter said.

Defensively, Sac State was hard to beat putting the ball in Menlo’s half for the majority of the match. Poynter said that the team looked much more dangerous. Freshman forward Kim Kemper kept pressure on the Oaks by forcing turnovers and making smart plays for her team.

In the 39th minute sophomore defender Missy Matzen gave the Hornets the point that would keep them ahead for the rest of the game with a nice one-timer to the far post after receiving a cross over the top of the defense from senior forward/mid-fielder Natalia Romo.

The Hornets were looking very energized but focused as the second half of play began. Junior mid-fielder Katie Burton scored her first goal of the season just three minutes into the second half connecting with McCoy on the right side putting it past Menlo goalkeeper Heather Klassen. The goal was her first after coming off a shoulder injury she had sustained earlier in the season. Burton said that her shoulder was still there after being asked how it felt after the game.

The Oaks weren’t about to concede however. In the 74th minute, Menlo sophomore mid-fielder/defender Ryanne Bergstrom lifted a 30-yard shot past Sac State’s defense, the ball then took a sharp bounce past goalkeeper Mandy Trojan. The ball was in her grasp, yet it slipped right by her.

Sac State’s next game begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow at 25th-ranked Fresno.