SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sophomore Eli Millan scored his fourth goal of the season and the game-winner in a 2-1 overtime win over Air Force on Sunday afternoon at Hornet Soccer Field. For the Hornets, the win improves their record to 5-8-1 overall and 4-4 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Sacramento State also improves to 5-1-1 at home.
The Falcons fall to 6-7-1 overall and 2-5 in the MPSF.
Millan, a Foothill HS graduate, scored the game-winner in the 103rd minute after sophomore midfielder Pedro Lupercio (Dixon HS) sent a ball in over the top of the defense that Millan ran onto in Air Force’s penalty box. Millan had one defender to beat and then struck the ball over the top of the Falcons’ goalkeeper, Mike Maynard.
Millan now has eight points on the season, while it was Lupercio’s second assist of the year. It was also the third goal of the season, that Millan scored in the last minute of a period and also his third game-winning strike.
After playing to a scoreless draw in the first 45 minutes, sophomore defender Ismael EcheverrÃa gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead when he blasted a shot from 25-yards out after a ball had deflected out of the box on a corner. EcheverrÃa’s shot caught Air Force goalkeeper Paul Elsberd off his line and beat him over the top.
The Falcons evened the game at 1-1, when Daniel Bolin sent in a cross and Scott Muir got his head to it, beating Hornet goalkeeper Matt McDougall in the 62nd minute.
McDougall had a match-high seven saves, including a save in the 22nd minute, when he came off his line to deny Marcus Sagastume in a one-on-one situation.
Maynard, who replaced Elsbernd in the net in the 80th minute, had two saves in the final 10 minutes of the match and overtime, while Elsbernd finished the match with four saves.
Sacramento State played in front of a crowd of 276 fans in their fifth win of the season. Sacramento State’s offense, led by Patrick Nelle, Ryan Rhoads, Andrew Tamm, Eric Ortiz, Brandon Baggett, Millan and Lupercio was on the attack for much of the match, but was caught offside 10 times.
The Hornets outshot Air Force 21-14 and placed 10 shots on frame. The Sacramento State defense of Marco Ramirez, Juan Crlos Cortez, Jr, Marcos Mercado, Utodi Madu, Jesse Manton and EcheverrÃa held the Falcons to eight shots on goal.
Sacramento State continues its second leg of MPSF competition at UNLV on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The team will then travel to San Diego State for a 3 p.m. match on Sunday, Oct. 31. The Hornets will return home for their final match of the season at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, against New Mexico, who is currently ranked 7th in the country.
