SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Throughout the summer, the Sacramento State athletics department will take a look back and honor the student-athletes who have made the biggest impact on their sport over the last 10 years.
To be eligible for the all-decade team, a student-athlete must have competed at least one year in their sport between the 2000-01 and 2009-10 academic years, and must have completed their eligibility as a Hornet, or be an active member of the team.
Today marks the announcement of the men's soccer all-decade team. The squad consists of a goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards, composing a full 11-man team.
GOALKEEPER
Matt McDougall (2002-05)
A four-year letterwinner in goal for the Hornets, McDougall holds the Sacramento State Division I program record with 306 career saves and is second all-time with 10 career shutouts. His 1.45 career goals against average ranks second in the school’s Division I history, and in 2004, he spent every minute in goal for Sacramento State. In 2005, he earned all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team honors after posting a career-best 1.15 goals against average and leading the Hornets to a 9-7-2 record, which was the program’s best mark since 1992. The Sacramento native is currently in his fifth season as an assistant coach at Sacramento State.
DEFENDERS
Hjalti Kristjansson (2000-02)
A three-time all-MPSF defender, Kristjansson was a driving force behind the Hornets' 2001 regular season MPSF championship. The native of Kopavogur, Iceland finished his career with six goals and three assists, providing the Hornets with an offensive threat on free kicks. Kristjansson started 52 contests in his career on the Hornet backline, while scoring a career-high three goals as a junior in 2001. He earned first team all-MPSF honors as a sophomore in 2000, and second team honors his final two seasons.
Marcos Mercado (2001-04)
A native of Sacramento, Mercado was a three-time all-MPSF defender who ranks in the top five in school history in both matches started and played. A key member of the Hornets' 2001 MPSF regular season championship club, Mercado started 17 matches as a freshman, and all told for his career, received the starting nod 65 times. He finished his four-year career with three goals and one assist, and served as a team captain his final two seasons.
Adam Owens (2005-08)
The school's all-time leader in matches played, Owens was a three-time all-MPSF honoree, earning first team honors as a sophomore and a junior. A native of Sacramento, Owens started 60 matches while playing in 74 contests on the defensive line as a center-back. Known for his aggressiveness in the air, Owens was the team's primary ball-winner during his career. He recorded four career points, all of which came in his junior season when he tallied one goal and two assists.
MIDFIELDERS
Fernando Cabadas (2007-Pres.)
One of the most improbable stories in Hornet soccer history, Cabadas came in as an unrecruited walk on, and by his second season, earned first team all-MPSF honors. An attacking midfielder, the Sacramento native and two-time first team all-MPSF selection set a new school record in 2009 with nine assists in a single season, helping lead the Hornets to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and first round victory. Over his three-year career, Cabadas has tallied five goals and 14 assists, needing four assists as a senior to become the school's all-time leader.
Ernesto Carranza (2007-Pres.)
The 2009 MPSF Player of the Year, Carranza has continued to improve over a three-year career that has seen the crafty midfielder post 11 goals and 12 assists. In leading the Hornets to the NCAA Tournament as a junior, Carranza posted a career-best six goals and six assists en route to his first-ever first team all-MPSF honor. The Oakdale, Calif., native has appeared in 59 career matches, making 58 starts, and is on pace to shatter the school's career record in each category. He currently ranks fourth all-time in assists, and needs nine points to enter the school's all-time top five.
Pedro Lupercio (2003-06)
A native of Dixon, Calif., Lupercio was a four-year letterwinner in the middle of the decade and was known for setting up his teammates. A 2006 honorable mention all-MPSF performer, Lupercio collected a career-high five assists as a senior, and finished his career with 10. He saw the pitch in 69 career matches with the Hornets, making 52 starts, while scoring two goals and totalling 14 career points.
Marco Ramirez (2004-05)
A two-year letterwinner as a central midfielder, Ramirez was a second team all-MPSF performer as a senior in 2005, where he scored four goals and tallied one assist. He was a clutch performer during that final season, scoring game-winning goals against Dayton, Long Island and UNLV. The Modesto, Calif. native finished his career with six goals and five assists, starting 36 of the 37 matches the Hornets played over his two seasons.
FORWARDS
Patrick Nelle (2001-04)
A two-time second team all-MPSF performer, Nelle collected nine career goals and five assists over his four seasons in the Green and Gold. The Sacramento native posted a two-goal game as a junior in 2003, and collected three career game winning goals. Nelle is tied for second in the Hornet record books, seeing action in 71 career matches, which included 43 starts on the offensive front line.
Ryan Rhoads (2003-06)
One of the most prolific goal scorers in school history, Rhoads ranks second in school history with 21 career goals and 51 career points. Over the course of his career, Rhoads twice posted eight-goal seasons, once as a sophomore in 2004 and then again as a senior in 2006. A second team all-MPSF performer as a senior, the Modesto, Calif., native posted five career game-winning goals, and finished his four-year tenure on a three-match goal scoring streak.
Oscar Sandoval (2005-06)
In two short years, Sandoval made his mark as one of the most dangerous strikers in program history, scoring 14 goals while adding four assists. Known for his flair and creativity on the field, Sandoval posted two career bicycle kick goals, with each serving as a game-winning goal. The Littlerock, Calif., native earned all-MPSF honors on two occasions, including a first team selection as a senior in 2006. Sandoval is currently in his third season as a volunteer assistant coach at Sacramento State.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Throughout the summer, the Sacramento State athletics department will take a look back and honor the student-athletes who have made the biggest impact on their sport over the last 10 years.
