The Sacramento State women’s soccer team beat Portland State today 1-0 to clinch the first regular season Big Sky Conference championship in school history. “It’s a great accomplishment for the team,” said Athletic Director Terry Wanless. The Hornets entered the day needing only a win against the Vikings to clinch the regular season title and earn the right to host the Big Sky Conference tournament. A tie would have required Weber State to lose or tie its match tomorrow in order for the Hornets to claim the championship. A loss would eliminate the Hornets from regular season title consideration, although they would still qualify for the conference tournament. Portland State would win the regular season title if it beat the Hornets and Weber State lost or tied its match tomorrow. Before the game, Sac State’s three departing seniors, Katie McCoy, Katie Burton and Amanda Gray, were introduced to the home fans before the normal team introductions. They were then presented with gift baskets and balloons at center field with family members at their side. The early part of the match was rather uneventful and neither team could get on the board in the first 39 minutes. “We started out pretty sloppy,” said Hornets coach Randy Dedini. Fittingly, it was senior team captain McCoy that ended the stalemate, beating Portland State’s sophomore goalkeeper Cris Lewis 1-on-1 in the 40th minute for an unassisted goal. It was McCoy’s 12th score of the year, and as a result she now holds the single-season school record for most points with 31. “Katie always comes through in the clutch,” said sophomore Danielle Holloway. The teams combined for just eight first-half shots, and only five fouls were called before halftime. With the Hornets one period away from the conference championship, Dedini said he told the team that “the 2nd half was the most important 45 minutes of our season.” With their title hopes in danger, the Vikings came out of the gate with a purpose in the second half. They outshot the Hornets 10-6 in the second period and attempted four corner kicks. “We dominated the second half,” said Portland State junior Kaci Mashburn. “They were playing with a lot of energy,” Dedini said. “They had a lot at stake as well.” Portland State then attacked relentlessly in the final 10 minutes, which Gray said “felt like an eternity.” The Vikings had one last great opportunity to tie the game in the final minute, when they attempted their final corner kick. The entire Sac State bench was on its feet as the ball was sent into the field of play, but junior Kara Taylor kicked it out of the goalie box to end the threat. When the clock expired, the bench swarmed onto the field to celebrate with the rest of the team. “I’m just very proud of what they did,” Dedini said. “We feel pretty good about where we are.”

Gray said it was great to end her final regular season at Sac State with a conference title. “It means a lot,” Gray said. “I’m pretty excited.” Sophomore Mandy Trojan recorded her second-straight shutout and eighth overall this season. It is the fourth time this year that Trojan has recorded back-to-back shutouts. The Vikings end their season with a 3-3-1 record in conference play and were 7-9-2 overall. Despite the loss, Portland State will still play in the conference tournament after qualifying earlier in the week. “(We’ll) just have to put the loss behind us,” Mashburn said. Sac State ends the season at 10-3-5 and undefeated in conference play with a 4-0-3 record. The Hornets will host the first Big Sky Conference tournament in school history next weekend. The four-team tournament will begin next Friday with the second and third seeds playing at 11 a.m., followed by the Hornets playing against the fourth seed at 1:30 p.m. “We’ll be ready,” McCoy said. The winners from each game will face off in the championship match at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11. The winner of the conference tournament will then earn a spot in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship tournament, which begins November 16.

Fernando Gallo can be reached at [email protected]