SACRAMENTO -- Junior Michael Gonzalez netted his second goal of the season in the 83rd minute to halve the Sacramento State's men's soccer team's deficit late on Thursday, and visiting San Francisco needed a huge save to deny the equalizer with 14 seconds remaining in the match, escaping Hornet Soccer Field with a 2-1 victory.
The defeat put an end to the Hornets' seven-match unbeaten streak as they fell to 5-2-2 overall on the year, falling for the first time since the regular season opener at No. 3 Washington. The Dons, meanwhile, remained unbeaten on the year, improving to 6-0-2 overall on the season and winning in Sacramento for the first time since 1998.
Following a scoreless first 45 minutes, it was a pair of goals by San Francisco's Max Chretien in the 53rd and 64th minutes that broke the seal and staked the Dons to the 2-0 lead.
That lasted until the final 10 minutes when San Francisco was whistled for a handball in the box, awarding a penalty kick to the Hornets. Gonzalez, who led the team in scoring last year with four goals and had a goal and a pair of assists to his name this year, stepped over the ball and converted, beating the Dons' keeper to the right side to make it a one-score contest.
It was the first penalty of the season for Sacramento State and the first by a Hornet since Eloge Iradukunda converted with 39 seconds remaining against Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 23, 2021. Sacramento State has now made its last six attempts from the spot dating back to Sept. 23, 2018, against San Francisco on the road.
Alejandro Padilla had his chance to tie it in the 87th only to have his attempt scooped up and Sacramento State had two golden opportunities in the final 20 seconds. Goalkeeper Mac Learned's free kick got loose inside the box and found the foot on Gonzalez at the top of the six, but his blast was denied by goalkeeper Eric Waltz at the right post from point blank range and Genaro Alfaro's final attempt from about 25 yards was deflected out by a USF defender as time expired, clinching the win.
Gonzalez, who finished with four shots on the night and put three of those on frame, had Sacramento State's first chance, taking a throw from Austin Wehner on the far side, losing two defenders on the right side of the box, creating space, and putting a shot to the upper right corner that sailed just high.
In the 24th minute, the Hornets had another opportunity to open the scoring fall just out of reach as Gonzalez played Genaro Alfaro out to the right side, who skirted a ball across the top of the six that was just out of reach of Cody Sunquist making a run up the middle and Wehner on the back side could not get a shot off as the ball ran out of bounds for a goal kick.
San Francisco finished the day with a 12-10 advantage in shots as each team put four attempts on frame, while the Dons dominated the corner kicks early, ending the first half with five of the first six, but managed just one the rest of the way to the Hornets' four.
Thursday's contest marked the end of non-conference play for the Hornets, who hit the road to open their Big West Conference schedule at CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 28 at 11 a.m., and UC San Diego on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.
