SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State women's soccer team gave Big West-leading Cal State Fullerton all it could handle on Saturday afternoon, but it was a Titans goal in the 50th minute that proved to be the difference, escaping Hornet Soccer Field with a 1-0 victory over the Hornets.
Suffering its second straight defeat, Cal State Fullerton moved to 5-5-5 overall on the year and 1-3-3 in league play. Fullerton extended its already lengthy unbeaten streak to 10 with Saturday's victory, improving to 8-2-5 overall and 5-0-2 in conference play.
After a fairly even first 45 minutes that saw the two schools battle to a scoreless deadlock at the break, it was the Titans who broke the seal two minutes after video review took a goal by Sail Bozinovic off the board for the visitors in the 48th minute.
A long ball played over the top by Kaylin Raibon send Cassie Villanueva on a run down the right side. Villanueva was able to find space around her defender and sent a cross to the back post where Jenna Rivera was waiting.
Rivera one-timed a shot that deflected straight down off the crossbar and had enough spin on it to rebound back into the top of the net for the match's lone score.
Sacramento State managed only two shots on goal for the match — both of those coming on chance by
Jules Colchico in the first 19 minutes of the contest. Her first came just 30 seconds into the match on a ball played across the top of the six-yard box where Colchico chipped one in on the Fullerton goalkeeper from point-blank range, but could not get it over the line.
The second came on a bouncing shot from distance that the Titan goalkeeper was able to easily stay in front of in the 20th minute.
Colchico's two shots were a team high as she was one of six players to finish with an attempt on the day for the Hornets, while goalkeeper
Delaney Timmons — who was making her first start since Sacramento State's win at Nevada back on Aug. 23 — finished with five stops.
The Hornets open the penultimate week of Big West play on the road next week, traveling to Orem, Utah, to take on Utah Valley at 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday (Oct. 21). The Wolverines, unbeaten in their last eight, defeated UC Riverside on Saturday to keep pace with the Titans atop The Big West standings.
