SAN DIEGO – Sacramento State's Titus Washington scored on a header inside the goal area in the 77th minute to help deal San Diego its first loss of the season, a 2-1 decision, on Sunday at Torero Stadium.
 
The Toreros (5-1-0), who were off to their first 5-0 start in 17 years, not only suffered their first defeat, but they also had their streak of four consecutive shutouts snapped by Sacramento State (4-2-0).
 
The Hornets, who had 16 shots in a 3-0 loss at LMU on Friday, recorded 11 shots, including seven on net. USD goalkeeper Matt Wiher made three of the five saves, with the team registering the other two.
 
Wiher's streak of 426 consecutive scoreless minutes came to end early in the first half. Sacramento State's Matt Carnefix received the ball in the middle of the penalty area in the 5th minute and placed a low, turnaround shot in the lower left corner to beat Wiher and make it 1-0.
 
USD responded with a tally of its own in the 30th minute when Miguel Berry, for the second game in a row, scored on a free kick to tie it at 1-1. The senior took the kick from six yards outside the top of the penalty area and put it past the Hornet wall and goalkeeper by placing it on the lower right side.
 
The goal for Berry was his team-best sixth of the season. It was also his third straight game with a goal, a first for him since October 7-14, 2018.
 
Berry had an opportunity to put the Toreros ahead two minutes later on a penalty kick. Following a Sacramento State hand ball in the middle of the penalty area in the 32nd minute, Berry was denied by the Hornets' goalkeeper Hector Grajeda on a low shot on the right side.
 
The Toreros scrambled to keep the game even at 1-1 in the 71st minute when a pair of point-blank shots by Sacramento State were stopped by Torero defenders. However, six minutes later, a cross by Tyler Moss found Washington inside the goal area, who put it past Wiher for the game-winner.
 
The Toreros tried to force the game into overtime with three shots over the final 10 minutes, but all of them missed their mark. USD outshot Sacramento State, 16-11, but only five of the 16 shots were on goal.
 
San Diego will play its first match of the season outside of San Diego on Friday when it travels to face UC Irvine at 7 p.m. The Toreros are 1-0 in road matches this season (W, 3-2 at San Diego State).
 
 
NOTES
Dating back to last season, Sunday's result snapped USD's unbeaten streak of nine straight games.  
 
Berry's goal in the first half was only the second USD goal this season scored in the first 45 minutes. The last time the Toreros found the back of the net in the first half was the season opener at San Diego State.
 
The Sacramento State goal in the 77th minute was the first goal allowed by USD in the second half all year.