Junior forward Pat Powers and Kevin Sapanli each scored a goal for their respective squads as the Sacramento State men’s soccer team and San Diego State played to a 1-1 tie in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match, Friday afternoon at a soggy Hornet Soccer Field. Rainfall marred the first half of play before subsiding halfway through the second.The Hornets, who currently remain in second place in the MPSF with seven points, are now 5-9-2 overall and 2-2-1 in conference play. The Aztecs are now 7-4-3, 1-0-2.
Sacramento State got on the board first in the 14th minute when Powers placed a shot in the right side of the net on a one-on-one opportunity. Powers began the play by stealing the ball from an Aztec defender, splitting two defenders and placing the shot past a diving Collin Hanke. For Powers, a Sacramento native, it was his second goal of the season.
San Diego State evened the contest in the 28th minute when Sapanli found the net off an assist by Heath Creager. Creager began the play by placing a shot on Hornet goalkeeper Jeff Gibson off a header cross. The ball deflected out of the hands of Gibson and bounced in front of the goal. Sapanli seized the opportunity and punch in a shot to the left side for the score.
Both teams missed opportunities throughout the rest of the contest to leave the contest at a tie.
Gibson led all keepers with a game-high six saves. The Redding, Calif., native is now 3-1-1 in the Hornets’ last five games. Hanke finished with five saves to lead the Aztec defense.
Sacramento State will end the 2003 regular season at New Mexico on Sunday, Nov. 2, at noon. With a win or a tie, the Hornets will automatically qualify for the MPSF Tournament for the third-consecutive season. The top six teams in the conference qualify for the postseason tournament on Nov. 13-16 at Hornet Soccer Field.
