The Sacramento State men’s soccer team hosted University of California, Riverside Saturday afternoon. The Hornets came back to win the game 2-1 after the Highlanders took an early lead.  

Sophomore defender Bryan Gutierrez had the first shot on goal for the Hornets, but Highlanders junior goalkeeper Carlos Gonzales saved the shot. 

In the sixth minute of the match, the Highlanders opened up the scoring when senior midfielder Issa Badawiya scored off an assist from senior midfielder Oscar Penata, giving the Highlanders a 1-0 lead over the Hornets. 

Sac State had a swift response and tied the match in the seventh minute, with junior midfielder Francisco Magaña finding sophomore Dominic Vegaalban who shot it into the right corner of the net. 

“I feel awesome,” Vegaalban said. “Being out on the field is a blessing.” 

Vegaalban scored his first conference goal after being out for six weeks with a knee injury.

The Highlanders sophomore forward Noah Lopez took a shot after the game was tied, but redshirt goalkeeper Edgar Guerra made a save to keep the game even. 

The rest of the half went scoreless, although both teams were on offense, trying to find their second goal. 

In the second half, the Highlanders started on the ball and wasted no time in going on offense. The Hornets defense didn’t allow them to do anything offensively, as they were solid on defense. 

The game was more physical in the second half. Several yellow cards were issued, and Hornets sophomore midfielder Ali Sasankhah was the first to receive one. 

There were 10 yellow cards given in the second half. Both the Hornets and Highlanders had five yellow cards. 

In the 80th minute Hornet junior forward Austin Wehner won the ball off a duel and took a shot on goal, floating the ball over Highlander goalkeeper. 

“A little lost for words,” Wehner said. “I’m happy I was able to help my team out and get the three points we needed.” 

The Hornets then went on to defend the rest of the match, securing a 2-1 win over the Highlanders.  

“Winning is living – every time you lose, you die a little,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “I’m glad I didn’t die a little more today.” 

Although the Hornets won and broke their four game losing streak, they still sit second to last in the Big West Conference. 

The Hornets now move to 7-6-2 overall and 2-4 in conference. Next, they travel to San Luis Obispo, CA where they will face Cal Poly at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct 19, 2022.