As the sun was setting in the 89th minute over the canopy of oak trees that line Hornet Field on Wednesday, Sacramento State men’s soccer found themselves down a goal to last-place California State University Bakersfield with two minutes left to play.
Looking to force a draw in the waning moments of play, sophomore defender Jonathan Dadzie slid around a Roadrunner defender up the left side of the pitch. Keeping his head up, he delivered a through ball to the feet of junior forward Donovan Sessoms.
Sensing the pressure, Sessoms crossed the ball to the middle of the box. As the pass glided through the sun-stained grass, freshman forward Ronan Rattigan charged towards the ball, stabbing his foot towards the goal. Rattigan sent the ball towards the bottom left corner of the goal, only for the shot to be blocked away by a defender.
Rattigan nearly ties the game in the 89th minute. #hornets They are going all out to get the draw. pic.twitter.com/QF395aU4Jq
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 2, 2025
The Hornets managed to get 13 shots in the match but struggled to get them to the goal, only recording three shots on target.
“The chances we created were pretty good, but we’re not making their goalkeeper make saves,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “This has been an issue we’ve had all season long; we miss the target too often. It’s the hardest part of the game.”
With one final chance coming and going, Sac State fell to 1-7-2, losing their first game of Big West play by a score of 0-1.
“It’s more of a mental thing,” Sessoms said. “We need to fight for the win off the rip, so that we are not chasing the game.”
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The first half saw the two sides trading blows back and forth, resulting in a scoreless half dominated by defense and junior goalkeeper Lucas Bost.
“I felt like everybody laid themselves out for every ball,” Bost said. “I felt like there was a real eagerness and desire to block shots today.”
A Roadrunner free kick in the 62nd minute controversially altered the fate of the match.
The ball swung in from the Roadrunner’s left wing to the right side of the box, landing on the head of a forward who directed the ball towards the back of the net. The Sac State bleachers started to erupt as they waited for an offsides call that never came.
The referees went to the video-assisted referee, ultimately determining there was no conclusive evidence that the goal should be disallowed.
“I thought it was clear,” Linenberger said. “Obviously, I wasn’t in a great line, but I thought it was clearly offsides.”
The Roadrunners’ pressure did not stop after the goal, as Bost was forced to make two major saves to keep the Hornets alive, the first coming in the 71st minute.
Massive save from Bost to keep the game within reach for the Hornets in the 71st minute. #hornets pic.twitter.com/86ZD1Nlg9u
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 2, 2025
“I was pumped up. I was just thinking, ‘Can I keep my team in the game?’” said Bost. “I’m just like, ‘I have to save this.’ Some of the saves I made, I was not even thinking.”
The second save came 12 minutes later, as Bakersfield kept pressing the attack, sending a cross from the corner of the box to a diving Roadrunner forward. Catapulting his body towards the ball, the Roadrunners’ forward sent a scorching header, only to be punched aside by Bost.
Major save from Bost as he continues to keep the Hornets in the game. #hornets pic.twitter.com/iYwNUWrG9C
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 2, 2025
Even with Bost standing tall, the Hornets could not overcome the one-goal deficit. The Hornets will need to quickly change their game to compete with the top ranked teams of the Big West Conference.
Sac State looks to make that change against Cal State Fullerton at home on Oct. 4 at 4 p.m.
