STOCKTON, Calif. — Freshman Allbranly Gue and junior Zac Giles each scored the first goals of their collegiate careers 96 seconds apart in the second half, rallying visiting Sacramento State to a 2-1 victory over homestanding Pacific on Thursday night at Knoles Field in Stockton, Calif.
The victory was the first of the season for the Hornets, who improved to 1-5-1 overall on the season and snapped a nine-match winless streak dating back to last year. Pacific, winless now in its last seven meetings (0-3-4) with Sacramento State, fell to 1-4 overall with the loss.
An early score that would have put the Hornets out in front in the sixth minute was waved off due to an offside call, but goalkeeper Andres Rosales was busy keeping the Tigers off the board himself at the other end, making three saves in a 14-minute span to keep the match scoreless.
Pacific finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the 39th minute on a goal by Jose Maria Barrera, one that would stand until halftime.
The Tigers' advantage lasted until the 59th minute when a handball in the box was whistled against Pacific's Jacob Heisner, drawing a card and giving the Hornets a chance to level the match from the penalty spot. Gue then stepped up and snuck a shot just inside the left post for his first career score and make it 1-1.
It was the 12th consecutive make from the spot for Sacramento State dating back to 2018 and the 20th in the team's last 21 penalty attempts in the last 10 years.
Giles then wasted little time in tacking on another score in the 60th minute, netting his first career score to give the Hornets a lead they would not relinquish. On the counterattack, freshman
Zach Looney made a run up the right side and lofted a ball to the back post where Giles timed his run perfectly, sliding in and rocketing a shot past a recovering Pacific goalkeeper for the 2-1 lead.
The duo of Gue and Giles became the fourth and fifth goal scorers for Sacramento State this season, while Looney notched his first career point with his assist.
Rosales then went to work in the final 26 minutes, making four more saves — including a leaping grab on a well-struck header by Pacific's Alberto Cruz in the 85th minute — to clinch the win. His seven saves were a career high and the most by a Hornet this season.
Gue and
Jonathan Dadzie finished with a pair of shot attempts each to lead Sacramento State.
The Hornets now break until Monday night (Sept. 15) when they travel to the Bay Area to take on No. 20 San Francisco at 7 p.m.
