SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A late penalty against Sacramento State proved the difference in Sunday afternoon's 1-0 loss to the visiting Saint Mary's Gaels.

With the loss, the Hornets are now 2-6 on the year and remain winless at home. Saint Mary's improves to 5-3 overall.

Sunday's match was the second in the last three in which the Hornets fell, 1-0, while their opponent scored on a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Ryan Curtis drew the first yellow card of his career in the 73rd minute, resulting in a penalty kick and a goal for Saint Mary's late in the match.

Just this last Monday, Sacramento State lost on the road, 1-0, at Portland. The only goal of the match came on a Pilots penalty kick in the 3rd minute of play. 

Things were different on Sunday as the Hornets and Gaels battled back and forth in an incredibly even match. The two programs, which have tied an incredible eight times in their last 16 matchups, entered the half scoreless. The two teams were nearly identical on the box score, with the Gaels leading in shots, 4-3, and the two teams even in shots on goal (1-1) and corner kicks (1-1). 

The second match continued to see back-and-forth play, this time with the Hornets outshooting the Gaels, 4-3.

In the end, the crucial moment of the match came in the 73rd minute on a cross into the box by Saint Mary's. As the crowd gathered, Curtis leapt to grab the ball out of the air, and collided with two Saint Mary's players, who also leapt at the ball. Curtis came down with it, as he and a Gaels player went to the ground. When the pair got to their feet, Curtis was shown the yellow. 

Saint Mary's Sebastian Schacht converted on the penalty kick and, despite some late looks for the Hornets in the match's final minutes, proved the difference in the 1-0 final score. 

In total, the Hornets and Gaels both finished with seven shots (four on goal for Saint Mary's, two for Sacramento State). Titus Washington and Michael Gonzales were each responsible for one of those two shots on goal. 

Sacramento State will get a bit of a breather following its three-match week against three challenging WCC foes as they play just once next week. That said, their lone match is a Friday night contest on the road at Western Michigan. Kickoff for Friday's road match is set for 4 p.m./7 p.m. ET. Fans can find links to stream the match online at HornetSports.com. 

And for the latest men's soccer news, notes, and schedule, be sure to visit the Sacramento State men's soccer homepage online at HornetSports.com.