As the breeze picked up on Saturday, the uneasy mood in the bleachers could be felt by the shaking and unsettled oak tree branches that line the stands of Hornet Field. Sacramento State men’s soccer team was down two goals in the 87th minute to seventh-ranked California State University Fullerton.
Looking to reignite the Hornets’ chances of a comeback, freshman forward Allbranly Gue sent a cross into the box from the right pitch, finding its target in the leaping head of sophomore defender Jonathan Dadzie.
Dadzie sent a pass off his head that would be fought for in the box, landing on the feet of sophomore defender Angad Signh. Singh planted his right foot, turning his body to send a strike between two defenders that curved into the goal.
Hornets rallying a late game push. Singh scored off a cross in the 87th minute. #hornets pic.twitter.com/O5jn8WcJLn
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 5, 2025
“I was just trying to get my body in the box,” Singh said. “I was just in the right spot at the right time, and I just hit it, and it went in.”
Sac State had their foot on the gas pedal.
Carrying the momentum, the Hornets had one final chance to overcome the two-goal deficit and secure a draw.
In the final minute of play, junior forward Donovan Sessoms sent in a corner kick that overshot the target. Dadzie headed the ball towards the box, only for it to be sent right back into the Sacramento sky.
Fighting for the ball, Dadzie shoved his way towards the loose ball and made contact with a Titan defender. As the defender flopped to the ground and the whistle blew, the match was all but over.
Here is that last second chance for the Hornets off a Sessoms corner kick. #hornets pic.twitter.com/LBHMIfWvGb
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 5, 2025
“Even in the 89th minute, we’re down and we’re still fighting,” head coach Michael Linenberger said. “We showed some good character with that today.”
Despite fighting till the very last moment, the Hornets could not overcome a two-goal deficit that was inflicted early in the first half.
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The Titans came out soaring in Sacramento, scoring in the 4th minute of the match. As junior Titan forward Fernando Valenzuela circled the box, he sent a pass that was given back to him as he cut through the Hornet defense. He then sent a left foot strike past the outstretched body of junior goalkeeper Lucas Bost, leaving the Hornets on the backburner yet again.
“It’s been a common theme unfortunately,” Linenberger said. “I think my team’s been pretty good most of the year. But inside our box and inside their box, we’re not good enough. We’re not making enough plays, and that is the difference.”
Adding insult to injury, CSU Fullerton sent a chip pass up the left pitch that was collected and sent into the net from a deflection off redshirt sophomore Gio Ceja’s back. This sent the game even further out of reach for the Hornets and gave the Titans a two-goal lead.
“We have to lock in on the little details,” Singh said. “We have to have a lot more effort in defending – get our bodies in front of the ball.”
2-0 Titans in the 20th minute. Goal scored off a deflection that slides to the right of Bost. #hornets pic.twitter.com/PSDeP4rLEg
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 4, 2025
This adversity was not only challenged in the final minutes of the match. The Hornets pressed on throughout the entire second half, creating chance after chance.
In the 61st minute, Sessoms took a pass up the left pitch and broke the ankles of the Titan midfielder. Continuing the sprint and megging the next man to come, Sessoms sent a destructive strike off his right foot that sailed just above the crossbar.
“It was so damn close,” said Sessoms. “If I fake up the line and just take a touch, he’s going to either swing at it and kick it out of bounds or miss. […]If it was a little bit to the right or left, it might have gone in, but it just happened to be right down the middle.”
Sessoms slicin’ and dicin’ in the 61st minute. Still 0-2. #hornets pic.twitter.com/V2IENHqa9d
— Tamer Bohatch (@TamerBohatch) October 5, 2025
Even with the added chances in the second half, the Hornets’ offense fell flat when it mattered, marking another tally in the loss column and sending them to 0-2 in Big West play.
The Hornets will look to overcome their early match deficits away on Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. at California State University Northridge.
