Topless and sprawled out on the newly refurbished Hornet soccer field, sweeper Hjalti Kristjansson couldn’t have been happier.

His first goal of the season, scored two minutes into the second half of Sunday’s game, proved to be the game winner. And although the goal and shirtless dive onto the turf was a first-class goal and celebration, it was not featured on ESPN’s top-ten. The goal, however, was picked up by KCRA, where local sportscaster Del Rodgers mutilated the senior’s name during a ten-second video clip.

Kristjansson was finally able to break his scoring drought this season in the 47th minute, after the Hornets were awarded a direct kick, about 30-yards out from goal. “I usually take the shots, but I’ve been kind of struggling this season,” Kristjansson said. “I told (David) Fraser that, ‘hey, I’m going to take this shot and it’s going in for sure.'”

And sure enough Kristjansson came through, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas goalkeepeer, Justin Dennis, couldn’t react quickly enough to the booming kick. The Hornets were on their way to a 3-1 victory.

Kristjansson joined the Sacramento State soccer team as a sophomore in 2000, returning to the United States after three years in his native country of Iceland. He first got his taste of the U.S. as an exchange student at a Wisconsin high school in 1997. After graduation he chose to return home, but returned to the states for school and soccer.

“It was adventurous,” Kristjansson said of his decision to move to the U.S. “I was not missing anything back home. I got the opportunity to see so many things and do so many things. I just got the chance to see what’s out there and to open my eyes for new ideas.”

Last year he was named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s second team, and looks to be on a similar path this season as Sac State’s most reliable defender and field orchestrator.

“He’s been the foundation of our defense the last three years,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “He brought a lot of experience and maturity to our team. He reads the game very well.”

His performance on Sunday couldn’t have been more fitting or memorable for the 24-year old. He will be returning to Iceland to attend a funeral next week, leaving Sac State without their staple defenseman in the final two contests. But, Kristjansson will be back in time for the MPSF tournament.

The Hornets (2-2-1) still have the opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament if they can win the MPSF tournament which begins on Nov. 14, and will be played at the University of New Mexico.

“Our goal is to use the backdoor (in the tournament),” Kristjansson said. “Our goal is to finish No. 3. Of course it would be nice to have a good record, but it doesn’t mean anything in the tournament. Everybody is equal.”

Kristjansson grew up playing soccer since the age of six. He worked his way through Iceland’s youth club programs before joining Sac State in 2000.

“The enjoyment, I love it,” Kristjansson says of playing soccer. “It’s competition, a challenge and it’s a team sport. You can’t just depend on one guy; you have to all stick together. These are your friends you’re playing with. You practice together every single day, three hours a day and you travel together. They kind of become your second family.”

But, even though he might dispute it, the Hornets have been depending on Kristjansson to command their backline the past three years. His absence will surely disrupt the Hornets efforts against San Jose State (second place in MPSF) in Sunday’s final conference game.

“It’s going to be different,” Linenberger said. “He’s been the center of our defense the last three years….But maybe it will be a good test since we will be playing without him next year. He’s not a guy you replace easily.”

Kristjansson plans to earn his degree in kinesiology and graduate in the fall of 2003.

“You don’t know what comes in the future,” Kristjansson said. “I don’t know what is going to happen, I just have to take things day by day.”

He could possibly foresee himself playing soccer in Europe in the next several years. Most likely in Denmark, Norway or Sweden. Kristjansson’s education hasn’t been confined to Sac State classrooms either.

“I got the chance to meet a lot of new people,” he said. “People I probably would never be able to meet in my country, because we don’t have the mix of culture like there is here.”

Kristjansson still has the opportunity to put his signature on his final season in a Hornet uniform.

The New Mexico turf has yet to be properly introduced to Kristjansson’s topless goal-celebrating dive. Maybe the MPSF Tournament will be a good time for the two to exchange formalities. As for Kristjansson, his time spent in Sacramento has had a profound impact on him.

“It’s hard to say in words,” he explains. “It changed my view of all the things in life.”

One thing that hasn’t changed much is soccer, which Kristjansson has remained very good at through his travels.

Buried underneath a mountain teammates, who piled on him after Sunday’s goal, Kristjansson, emerged with the biggest smile of all – no need for words to explain it.