MORAGA, Calif. — Senior
Nick Strangio netted his first goal of the year late in the match on Thursday evening and the Sacramento State defense limited host Saint Mary's to just one shot attempt in the second half, but a pair of first-half strikes were enough to lift the Gaels to a 2-1 win over the Hornets at Saint Mary's Stadium.
Thursday's result moved both school's to 1-2 overall on the season with Saint Mary's winning its first match of the year and Sacramento State suffering its second consecutive defeat.
The Gaels, who attempted 12 of their 13 shots in the first half alone, broke up the shutout with a goal in the 28th minute, then went up 2-0 in the 36th minute on a score that was credited as an own goal.
Defensively, the Hornets' defense held Saint Mary's without a shot in the second half until the 82nd minute, giving their side a chance to rally. Sacramento State forced Gaels' goalkeeper Sam Bentley into three saves after the break as
Eli Reyneveld,
Sean Battistessa, and
Zac Giles put shots on frame.
Strangio was finally able to break up the shutout with 90 seconds remaining in the match as Giles put a low ball inside the six-yard box where Strangio was able to redirect it past Bentley and in. It was the senior's first score since finding the back of the net against CSUN on Oct. 8 of last season, while Giles collected his second helper of the year and the eighth of his career.
Sacramento State finished with a 15-13 advantage in shots, setting a new season high and putting a season-best seven of those on frame for the match. The Hornets also added five corners, including all three taken by either team in the second half.
Giles attempted a career-high seven shots while playing all 90 minutes, accounting for more than half of his 12 shots overall this year.
Thursday's match marked the first of four straight contests on the road for Sacramento State, which returns to the field on Monday (Aug. 31) at 7 p.m. PT with a match at Utah Tech.
