SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juniors Donovan Sessoms and Zac Giles each scored first-half goals and the Sacramento State defense weathered late pressure from visiting UC San Diego as the Hornets posted a 2-1 victory over the Tritons on "Senior Day" at Hornet Soccer Field on Saturday.
The victory marked Sacramento State's first Big West Conference triumph of the year and marked only the third time this season that the Hornets scored multiple goals in a match. It was also the team's first win since posting a 2-1 victory at Pacific back on Sept. 11.
Sessoms broke the scoreless deadlock with his second goal of the season in the 14th minute with an "Olympico" from the right corner, bending in a corner kick to the back left post to make it 1-0. The unassisted score moved him into the team lead with seven points and made him one of three Hornets — for the moment — to tally multiple goals this year.
Giles then doubled the lead 23 minutes later, collecting his second goal of the season off another corner. Senior
Hasan Alsakati feinted a deep kick and played the ball short to a waiting Giles near the top of the box. Giles received the ball, took a touch, and unleashed a rocket to the upper right side for the 2-0 advantage.
The assist for Alsakati was his first point of the year and the ninth of his three-year career with the Hornets.
Sacramento State took the two-goal advantage into the locker room at the break, but UC San Diego flipped the match on its head in the second half, eventually halving the Hornet lead with Adam Dunbar's score in the 71st minute. The Tritons finished with a 15-6 shot advantage in the second half, but could manage only four shots on goal — three of those stopped by senior goalkeeper
Andres Rosales.
Rosales finished with four stops on senior day, picking up the win for the second time this season.
Sessoms led all players with seven shots on the day, putting three of those on goal, while Giles added three more and Alsakati finished with a pair — both of his on frame. Sessoms' seven attempts were the most by a Hornet player this season.
Sacramento State has one more match remaining in the regular season, traveling across the Causeway to take on rival UC Davis next Saturday (Nov. 1) at 7 p.m.
