SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento State had a 16-15 shot advantage and had numerous quality scoring chances but, after the Hornets tied the game at 1-1 in the 62nd minute, Cal Poly went back ahead and finished a 3-1 win on Saturday at Hornet Field.

Junior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton was the star for the Mustangs, making several phenomenal saves late in the game to maintain the Cal Poly lead. Sacramento State (4-8-2, 2-3-0 Big West) forced Hamilton to make five quality saves in the game, while Cal Poly (8-3-3, 3-1-1 Big West) scored a pair of good goals and benefited from a Hornet own goal in the 88th minute.

The Hornets got a great scoring chance just 11 minutes in as senior Cody Hoster had a close header the post then got his own rebound but missed just wide. Hornet goalkeeper James Del Curto made a phenomenal save for his first stop of the game in the 17th minute, making a lunging deflection over the crossbar.

Cal Poly took the lead in the 36th minute as freshman Kaba Alkebulan sent a short lead pass to teammate Chase Minter, who finished on a shot over Del Curto from 10 yards out. The Mustangs had an 8-7 edge in shots in the first half while each keeper made two saves.

Sacramento State went on the offensive early in the second half and eventually found an equalizer in the 62nd minute. Senior Mason McCann had a run off the left side of the Cal Poly goal and sent a cross into the goal mouth that went untouched before Hoster came charging in and beat Hamilton to the far post.

Just minutes after the goal the Hornets almost took the lead as senior Chimdum Mez had clean break but missed just wide. In the 73rd minute Mez sent a great cross to freshman Cylus Sandoval but his open look was denied on a diving stop by Hamilton.

The Mustangs went back on top in the 76th minute as, on a corner kick, Minter sent a ball to the top of the box to sophomore Sean Dhillon, who had open space to fire into the Hornet goal.

Mez nearly had an equalizer in the 89th minute as he had a close header try off a free kick from Andres Garcia but was denied on a world class kick save by Hamilton. Sandoval would be denied stoned again by Hamilton on a superb diving save off a header shot in the 81st minute.

Hamilton would make one more save while Cal Poly was able to add a goal in the 88th minute as junior Kip Colvey sent a cross into the box that was deflected into the Sacramento State goal by a sliding Hornet defender for an own goal.

Sacramento State had a 9-7 shot advantage in the second half with four shots on goal. Mez and Sandoval each totaled four shots for the Hornets and Minter and Dhillon each had four shots for Cal Poly. Del Curto finished with three saves for the Hornets.

After their first Big West North division game the Hornets will be on the road on Wednesday at UC Santa Barbara before returning home to host UC Davis at Bonney Field next Saturday night.