STOCKTON, Calif. — The reigning Big Sky Conference Tournament champion Sacramento State women's soccer team opened the 2025 regular season with a bang on Thursday night in Stockton, Calif., posting a 3-0 victory over host Pacific in the regular season opener for both squads.
The Hornets (1-0 overall) posted their first win in a fall season opener since defeating Saint Mary's by a 2-1 score to start the 2017 season, snapping an 0-5-1 streak in such matches in the process. It was the first season-opening win overall since Sacramento State delivered a 2-1 victory over the Gaels in the pandemic-delayed season opener in the spring of 2021.
Thursday's three-goal outburst also marked the most goals in a regular season opener for the Hornets since a 4-0 win over Mount St. Mary's on Sept. 2, 2007.
A pair of newcomers netted their first goals in the green and gold in the victory as junior Micaela Romo put her side up 1-0 in the 36th minute, taking advantage of a ball that got lost in traffic inside the box before left-footing a shot to the upper right corner for the 1-0 lead.
It stayed that way through the half until Sacramento State was able to put home a pair in the second half to put the match out of reach. Junior forward
Lexi Schroeder netted the second goal of her career in the 51st minute by putting home a misclear by the Tigers' defense for the 2-0 advantage and junior
Tea Reyes opened her account as a Hornet with a goal in the 66th minute to cap the scoring.
Reyes won the ball at midfield and caught the Pacific goalkeeper well off her line at the top of the 18, beating a pair of defenders before muscling home her first of the year to the left side for the final 3-0 tally.
Meanwhile, the defense held strong, posting the Hornets' the first shutout in a season opener since a 2-0 triumph over Cal State Bakersfield to kick-off the 2016 season.
Sacramento State limited Pacific (0-1) to only four shots on goal as junior goalkeeper
Izzy Palmatier recorded her 12th career shutout, putting her in sole possession of fifth on the school's all-time list. Her four stops on the night also moved her into sixth on the program's career chart with 184.
One of those saves came in the 81st minute as Palmatier kept the sheet clean with a stop on a penalty kick attempt by the Tigers' Kaya Rosa, diving to her right and pushing the ball away from harm following a foul inside the 18.
Reyes led all players with four shot attempts as Sacramento State held a narrow 13-12 advantage in that statistic, but the Hornets were more efficient with their chances, putting nine of those 13 on frame.
The match was the only opening weekend contest for Sacramento State, which takes off for Hawai'i to compete in the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff in Honolulu next week. The Hornets open against Oregon on Thursday (Aug. 21) before closing the trip against Central Arkansas on Sunday (Aug. 24).
