Men’s football strikes early but loses in season opener
SACRAMENTO, California — Second semester Donovan Sessoms was not long in coming, and the Sacramento State men’s soccer team got the season off to a celebratory start, scoring a goal in the fifth minute for an early lead. But the Hornets couldn’t do much after that, as visiting Utah Valley scored three unanswered goals to earn a 3-1 victory on Thursday night at Hornet Soccer Field.
The contest marked the start of the season for both teams, as Sacramento State opened a season at home for the first time since 2017.
Sessoms, a transfer from UNLV who is one of 14 new additions to the 2024 squad, quickly got on the scoresheet, scoring a goal after just 4:01 minutes to put the team ahead 1-0. A long throw from a teammate Zac Giles On the near sideline he found a charging Sessoms on the right side.
The sophomore took control of the ball and raced a Utah Valley defender, moving inside to shake off his opponent and get to the 18-yard line. There, he touched the ball a few times before firing a left-foot shot into the top right corner for a 1-0 lead.
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?? as a newbie Donovan Sessoms opens his account with the Hornets with the first goal of the season after a long throw of the hidden Zac Giles only four minutes in the game against Utah Valley on Thursday #StingersUp @BigWestSports pic.twitter.com/QXRbK8CiYZ— Sacramento State Men’s Soccer (@SacStMSoccer) 23 August 2024
That celebration lasted until the 35th minute, when the Wolverines were able to narrow the score and tie the game on a goal by Isaac Emojong, who converted a rebound from the edge of the box to make it 1-1. Utah Valley then took the lead late in the second half, scoring goals just two minutes apart in the 80th and 82nd minutes to make it 3-1.
Keith Willey scored the decisive goal at the left post to give them a 2-1 lead, while Omar Yehya sealed the final score of the day with a rocket-like shot.
Sacramento State finishes its opening weekend on the road on Sunday, traveling to Berkeley, Calif., to face one of the ACC’s newest members at 2 p.m.
