SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State senior captain Shay Valenzano scored her first career goal in thrilling fashion, lifting the Hornets over the visiting Idaho Vandals, 2-1, Friday at Hornet Field. 

With the win, Sacramento State is now 2-8-2 overall and 1-3 in Big Sky play. Idaho falls to 8-3-2 overall and 2-2-1 in conference. 

Valenzano, Sacramento State's veteran midfielder, attacked the net all night, taking three shots and placing two on goal. The effort finally paid off when Valenzano sent one skipping past the diving Idaho keeper and into the lower right corner of the net in the 82nd minute, giving the Hornets a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. Valenzano received a pass from Jasmyne Dunn before stepping forward and sending the ball into the net from 25 yards out. 

Valenzano nearly found the back of the net earlier in the match, sending one banging off the cross bar, just inches too high. 

The senior has spent most of her career as a defensive mid, but showed off her ability to attack while netting her first career goal, a spectacular game-winner.

Earlier in the match, Ele Avery scored her second goal of the season, sending one between a defender's legs and into the lower left corner out of the reach of Idaho's Avrie Fox. The 39th minute score put the Hornets ahead late in the first half, 1-0.

Tiffany Miras assisted on the score, driving into space before dishing off to Avery. 

Idaho found the equalizer midway through the first half, taking advantage of a corner kick in the 63rd. Savannah Foster outjumped the defense, heading one past keeper Mia Shalit. Alyssa Peters, Idaho's primary set piece kicker, assisted on the corner.

Speaking of Shalit, the sophomore goalkeeper recorded her first career win with Sacramento State in her second start. The Chula Vista native made a four saves in the effort, including a spectacular diving stop 62nd minute. 

In total, Sacramento State took 14 shots, placing nine of them on goal. Idaho attempted 11 shots, placing five on goal. 

Senior midfielder Julia Herrera led the Hornets with four shots (three on goal) while Avery (two shots, one on goal), Danna Restom (two, two), and Abigal Lopez (two, zero) each had two shots. 

Friday night's win was Sacramento State's first league victory of the season after starting with a tough three-match road trip through Portland State, Montana, and Northern Colorado.

The Hornets will have a chance to make it two in a row just two days from now when the team welcomes Eastern Washington to Sacramento on Sunday, Oct. 10. The Hornets and Eagles will kick things off at 1 p.m. and the match will stream live on ESPN+ with live stats available at HornetStats.com. As always, links to everything women's soccer can be found online at the Sacramento State women's soccer schedule page at HornetSports.com.