Wolverines pounce late and claw past the Hornets

Wolverines pounce late and claw past the Hornets Categories: Featured Soccer Sports Wolverines pounce late and claw past the Hornets The Wolverines score three goals in the second half  Juan Botello-Martinez, Sports Staffer • October 14, 2026 Nykeriyah Brown Senior forward Eli Reyneveld walks back to his position against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The Hornets went on to end the match with a draw by a score of 2-2. After a scoreless first half, the On a cloudy day at Clyde Field at Utah Valley University, senior forward Eli Reyneveld dribbled the ball towards the middle of the field just before he sent a long pass to senior forward Zac Giles.  Giles controlled the ball through the wing and crossed it to the middle of the goal box. Senior forward Sean Battistessa sprinted up to the ball, extending his right leg to drill a volley on goal, but it was blocked by junior Wolverine goalkeeper Jackson Medina in the opening minutes of the game. Although the chance did not result in a goal, it established the Hornets attacking presence early and kept pressure on the Wolverine’s defense. Sean Battistessa with a volley attempt in the opening minutes of the game. https://t.co/8812IEnQhy — Juan Botello (@JuanBotell0) October 13, 2026 Sacramento State men’s soccer entered the match after dropping their most recent matchup against Gonzaga. Utah Valley was coming off a victory against Cal State University Fullerton. The Hornets opened the match in a  5-3-2 / 3-5-2 formation, focusing on counter attacks.  “We played 5-3-2 / 3-5-2 today because we thought that would give us a good chance to counter through [Zac] Giles and Sean Battistessa, and tactically on the defensive side because they had really good speed in the wide areas,” Head Coach Matt McDougall said. “We wanted to be able to get our wing backs to their outside wing backs as well.”  As both teams battled for the lead, the Hornets created several chances. Battistessa attempted a volley in the eighth minute, Hiroshi Yang took a free kick in the 17th minute and Giles 20-yard shot in the 43rd minute sailed wide of the top-right post.   “I thought on the counter we did really well, especially in the first half,” Giles said. ”We had a few chances that we could’ve scored, and if we score those the game changes.Those are the moments that can flip a game on its head.” RELATED: Bulldogs bite into the Hornet’s unbeaten streak The first half was physical, with three yellow cards and 11 fouls. The teams entered halftime tied 0-0, each with three shots on goal, while the Wolverines held a 6-4 edge in total shots. “In a physical game like that, being organized and calm but being gritty was the most important in those moments,” Yang said. The Wolverines controlled most of the second half, applying pressure and creating more scoring opportunities against the Hornet’s defense.  In the 59th minute, fifth-year Wolverine defender Noah Pogue scored off a corner kick header giving the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. The Hornets continued to defend well while trailing 1-0, catching the Wolverines offside five times and limiting their attacking opportunities.  In the 80th minute, junior defender Angad Singh misplayed a pass, allowing freshman Wolverine forward Oliver Watts to gain possession, dribble into the box and score in the upper-right corner of the net making it 2-0.  “They obviously made good adjustments in the second half and we kind of ran out of gas,” McDougall said. “Obviously, they scored a goal on a set piece, but they were better than us in the second half.” UVU takes advantage off Hornet’s mistake extending their lead to 2-0. https://t.co/1oHptLQlfD — Juan Botello (@JuanBotell0) October 13, 2026 As the Hornet’s momentum was fading, senior Wolverine midfielder Jose Luis Martin Montealegre was given a through ball in the 86th minute. He sprinted past the Hornet defenders, dribbled into the box and scored in the lower-right corner to extend the Wolverine’s lead to 3-0.  The game concluded with the Wolverine winning by a score of 3-0, outshooting the Hornets 12-3.  Eight of the Wolverine’s shots found the target in the second half. In addition,  the Wolverines had an  11-1 corner kick lead. The Hornets are now 3-7-2 overall. Another blow to the Hornets is the loss of Singh. The junior defender will not play in their next game against UC San Diego after earning a yellow card at the 71st minute.  “Angad took his 5th yellow card, so he’ll be out next game,” McDougall said. “But then that gives him 3 more opportunities to pick up more yellow cards because we need him for the Big West games especially.” The Hornets will return to face UC San Diego at Hornet Field for a PAC-12 crossover match on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, the game will be livestream on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. View Story Comments Print this Story Leave a Comment Donate to The State Hornet $890 $2,500 Contributed Our Goal Your donation will support the student journalists of Sacramento State University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs. 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Currently in the sports section for The State Hornet, he hopes to build and create articles that tell a story for the masses. He has ambitions to pursue PR and be a great and honest journalist.