It was right there for the taking, but the Sacramento State women’s soccer team will be coming home without a trophy after a 4-3 loss in what was an intense penalty kick shootout in the Big Sky championship game.

Things were looking good for the Hornets, who controlled the offensive side of the field for most of the game.

In the 32nd minute senior Maggie Murphy sent a corner kick to the back post where it found the head of Sarah Howard for the first goal of the game. Murphy and Howard talked earlier in the season about how they work together on that play.

The lead was short-lived.

Just four minutes later the Bengals tied the game on a shot by Natalie Graham.

In the second half the Hornets dominated, keeping the pressure on the Bengals defense for the majority of the time. In the 77th minute the Hornets broke through again.

On a free kick from junior forward Katie McCoy, freshman forward Kim Kemper found the ball near the goal, knocking it just past Idaho State goalie Lyndsay Gensler.

It looked like perhaps the game was won, but that feeling was erased quickly.

Less than two minutes after Sac State took a 2-1 lead the Bengals scored on a very controversial call. Jill Christofferson shot a ball that, according to referees, crossed the line for a goal. The Hornets bench exploded in opposition, but the goal stood.

After two scoreless overtime periods it was time for yet another shootout.

As was the case on Friday, Hornets freshman goalie Mandy Trojan stopped the first attempt. Michelle Okumura’s attempt to the right was saved by the sprawling Trojan. Sac State’s Sarah Howard gave the Hornets a lead with a goal in the first frame.

In the second round the Bengals got on the board with a goal from Annamarie Hofstetter. In Sac State’s half of the round freshman Katie Rorabaugh missed everything to the right on her attempt to keep it at 1-1 after two rounds.

Idaho State took a 2-1 lead on Kim Crosbie’s goal. Sac State’s Kara Taylor was then stoned by Gensler to give the Bengals the advantage after three rounds, 2-1.

Trojan returned the favor with a save on Kilee Quigley’s shot in the fourth round. McCoy stepped up to the ball and calmly knotted the shootout at two with a goal.

The fifth frame started well for the Hornets as Christofferson was denied by Trojan. As was the case on Friday, senior forward Kelly Novak stepped up with the win on the line. This time the ball was stopped by Gensler, leading to a sudden death set of kicks.

In the sixth round Idaho State’s Chantal Kim scored to give the Bengals a 3-2 lead. Murphy scored to tie it at three, heading into the seventh, and ultimately final, round.

Graham knocked one in past a frozen Trojan, leading to the final play of the season for the Hornets. All-conference junior midfielder Katie Burton’s kick was stopped by Gensler, leading to a scene of elation for the Bengals and devastation for the Hornets.

Several Sac State players fell to the ground and remained there for several minutes in disbelief of what had happened.

The title is Idaho State’s fourth in the last six years. They previously won the title in 2001-03.