SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sophomore forward Patrick Nelle and junior midfielder Joel Rodriguez each recorded a goal to lead the Sacramento State men''s soccer team to a 2-0 win over Dominican, Sunday afternoon at Hornet Soccer Field. The Hornets are now 2-2-2 on the year while the Penguins fell to 4-4-1. The match also marked the first shutout by the Hornets in the 2002 season.Sacramento State dominated the contest from start to finish by recording 29 shots (17 on goals) to Dominican''s four (two on goal).
Nelle scored the first goal of the contest when he found the net in the 29th minute off an assist by freshman midfielder Eric Martinez. Rodriguez sealed the victory with less than a minute remaining in the contest when he scored off of a combination of assists by sophomore defender Marcos Mercado and senior midfielder David Rios. Mercado began the play by placing a pass to Rios near midfield. Rios then shot the ball ahead to Rodriguez who finished the play in front of the Penguins'' goal.
Freshman goalkeeper Matt McDougall recorded his first collegiate win and shutout with two saves. Dominican goalkeeper Ben Millar finished with a game-high 15 saves to keep the Penguins in the contest. He left the game with less than a minute remaining due to a shoulder injury after colliding with Rodriguez on his goal.
The Hornets will next face 17th ranked Loyola Marymount on Friday, Sept. 27, at 4 p.m. at Hornet Soccer Field. The squad will then finish the weekend against 20th ranked UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m. in Harder Stadium.
