Sacramento State played in two overtime matches last weekend. On Friday, the Hornets scored three goals in the second half to erase a two-goal deficit and take a 3-2 lead over Boise State, but surrendered the equalizer in the 86th minute to the Broncos. Just 20 seconds into the second overtime, Annie Tom scored the golden goal for Boise State with a low-driven blast to the far post.

After losing a heartbreaker, the Hornets responded with their own golden goal in a 2-1 victory over Cal Poly on Sunday. Junior Kayelyn Satkowski gave Sacramento State a one-goal advantage in the 71st minute. The 2004 Casa Roble graduate took advantage of a wide open net after freshman Beverly Goebel dispossessed a Cal Poly defender just outside the Mustangs’ penalty box. Goebel picked up her fifth assist of the season, drawing a defender and Cal Poly’s keeper as she headed toward goal. With a quick diagonal pass to Satkowski, the keeper attempted to make the stop, but couldn’t handle Goebel’s pass cleanly, leaving a wide open net for Satkowski.

The Mustangs responded in the 77th minute with a 30-yard blast from Cara O’Hagan that hit the upper corner of the net. After setting up Sacramento State’s first goal, Goebel scored the game winner in the 104th minute, reaching the end of Katie McCoy’s free kick and directing the ball to the far post.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Sacramento State opens play in the Big Sky Conference with a large task. The Hornets begin on the road at P.E. Playfield, the home of two-time defending conference champion, Weber State. The Wildcats dealt the Hornets their only Big Sky loss last season and are currently led by Linsey McFarland and Natalie Ellis. McFarland’s 17 points ties for tops in the league with Sacramento State’s Kayelyn Satkowski, while Ellis has added five goals and one assist. Over the weekend, Weber State shut out Western Illinois 4-0 before a 3-2 overtime loss to Southern Utah. The Wildcats took an initial 2-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the match, before surrendering the game-tying goal in the 79th minute and the golden goal in the 97th minute.

After Thursday’s match in Ogden, Utah, the Hornets travel to Idaho State (4-6-0). A year ago, Sacramento State produced a 2-0 shutout in Pocatello with goals from Tiffany Fraser and Katie McCoy. Prior to a 2-1 victory over Utah Valley State last Saturday, the Bengals were on a four-match losing streak with losses to San Jose State, UC Davis, Utah and Wyoming. Michele Okumura leads the team with five goals, while Annamaire Hofsetter leads the conference with seven assists.

BREAK OUT

At the start of this season, head coach Katie Poynter said no one worked harder in the offseason than junior forward Kayelyn Satkowski. Hard work must pay off, because the Sacramento native not only leads the team in goals scored (seven), but also the Big Sky Conference.

Satkowski is posting career highs (seven goal, three assists) with another seven matches remaining on the schedule. This past weekend, she first helped Sacramento State back from a two-goal deficit against Boise State, with strikes in the 49th and 69th minutes. In the team’s 2-1 win over Cal Poly, Satkowski gave the Hornets’ their initial one-goal lead in the 71st minute.

For her efforts, Satkowski was named co-Big Sky Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, an honor she shared with Montana’s Meghan Chambers. It was the first time Satkowski has received the award in her career and the second time this season a Hornet has earned player of the week honors (Katie McCoy, Sept. 12).

Satkowski is also closing in on single season records, she is just two goals and six points shy of cracking the top-five in both categories.

Freshman Firepower

Freshman Beverly Goebel has started every match for Sacramento State this season and the Moreno Valley, Calif., native continues to impress. Goebel set up the Hornets’ first goal against Cal Poly, before scoring the golden goal in overtime. At 5-foot-9, Goebel used her frame to sky for Katie McCoy’s free kick, directing her header to the back post in the 104th minute. On the first goal in the 71st minute, Goebel dispossessed a Mustang defender just outside the penalty box and headed toward goal, drawing the Cal Poly goalkeeper off her line, she delivered a pass to Satkowski, who had open net awaiting her. Goebel is tied with McCoy for the team lead with five assists, while also adding two goals this year.

Between The Posts

Sophomore goalkeeper Jenny Lawrence has made a return to the Hornets’ goal, starting the team’s last three matches. A year ago, Lawrence was the only goalkeeper on the roster, playing every minute between the posts for Sacramento State and earning honorable mention accolades from the Big Sky. The Belmont, Calif., native made a match-high six saves in the team’s 2-1 victory over Cal Poly.

Big Sky Watch

Sacramento State’s formation of three forwards and four midfielders is geared to showcase the team’s offensive capabilities, so its no shock the Hornets rank first among Big Sky teams in assists (24) and shots (212) and second in goals (20) and points (64), trailing only Weber State.