Sac State men’s soccer season ends after 2-0 loss to UC Irvine
The Hornets suffer back-to-back losses, now eliminated from the postseason
Big West Conference/@_raymondtranphotography_
Sac State junior forward Austin Wehner passes the ball before a UC Irvine defender can get to him on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022, at Bren Events Center. The Hornets were eliminated from the Big West tournament after suffering a 2-0 loss on the road to the Anteaters.
November 3, 2022
The Sacramento State Hornets soccer team were on the road in the first round of the Big West tournament, facing the University of California, Irvine in a 2-0 loss.
This was the second time the Hornets faced the Anteaters this season– losing to them twice.
“[It’s] disappointing that the season has come to an end,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “I thought we played a lot better tonight than the last time we were here.”
The Anteaters sped into the match and put the Hornets’ defense on their toes– finding their rhythm by making runs through the wings.
The Anteaters had the first big chance to score, but Hornets redshirt freshman Edgar Guerra made a save to keep the game at zero.
“It’s my job; it’s something I love to do,” Guerra said.
Minutes later, the Anteaters senior midfielder Ashish Chattha took another shot– which was deflected by a Hornet defender. However, the ball found its way into the net, leaving Hornets goalkeeper Guerra without a chance to make the save.
The Hornets offense was lacking in the first half– only having two shots compared to the Anteaters 11.
The Hornets finished the first half scoreless for the second game in a row.
Coming into the second half, the Anteaters brought the same intensity and the Hornets were yet to find their rhythm.
The Hornets made some changes in the offense by bringing in redshirt midfielder Stacy Holmes. Even with Holmes playing on top the Hornets were unable to find a goal.
(Big West Conference/@_raymondtranphotography_)
The Anteaters took a 2-0 lead when freshman forward Diego Otoya found the back of the net with a through ball assist from junior defender Eddy Berumen.
The Hornets trailed by two with 30 minutes to be played, but they were unable to score.
“We battled; we left it all on the field,” junior forward Austin Wehner said. “As long as we can look at each other at the end of the day and say we left it all out there it’s all that matters.”
The Hornets had seven shots to the Anteaters five and were unable to get a goal– being kept in a shutout for the fourth time this season.
With this loss, the Hornets finished at 9-8-2 overall and 0-1 in the postseason. Their season has now come to an end as they were eliminated from the Big West Tournament.
“Making it to the playoffs was a big milestone for us,” Wehner said. “Next year hopefully we can go further.”
