Sept. 13, 2015
Stockton, Calif. â€" The San José State men's soccer team's road woes continued on Sunday evening in a 3-0 defeat to the University of the Pacific Tigers.
The Spartans (1-3-0), who have yet to earn a victory on the road in 2015, were shutout for the third time in as many games away from Spartans Soccer Field.
In the early going SJSU looked like they hadn't recovered from a hard fought game at #13 Stanford on Thursday night. The team didn't get its first shot of the match until Rory Knibbs got one off, from the top of the 18, in the 22nd minute.
From the start, Pacific (1-4-0) drove the ball down the right side of the field again and again, but couldn't generate any good chances. Then at the 26:16 mark, Kalei Gallarde made a deep run on the right and played a pass to Brian Im in front of the goal. Im slotted the ball just inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.
Chasing the equalizer, San José State responded with six shots, four on frame, in the next 19-plus minutes of the half. But SJSU was unable to get anything past Tigers' keeper Josh Adachi who made eight saves on the night.
UOP's Jamie Bent appeared to help the Spartans, picking up yellow cards in the 25th and 42nd minutes and forcing the Tigers to play a man down for the final 48-plus minutes of regulation.
However in the second half, San José State gave up two short-handed goals. The first came at the 49:04 mark when Gaku Lange out ran two SJSU defenders for a pass from midfield. His shot, from the top of the 18, slid under charging Spartans' keeper Emmanuel Espinosa for a 2-0 Pacific lead.
UOP put the game away in the 71st minute on a goal from Tristan Blackmon.
The Spartans, who outshot Pacific 15-to-11, had their best chance to avoid being blanked in the 82nd minute. Jonathan Partida took a centering pass inside the six and shot it past a diving Adachi, but the attempt banged off the post and ricocheted harmlessly away.
The Spartans were led by Knibbs' four shots. Andrew Mendoza attempted three and Alex Alcaraz and Carlos Valdovinos took two shots each. Jonathan Colunga, Zach Penner, Johathan Partida and Luis Vargas produced one shots apiece. Espinoza (1-3-0) had three saves in the loss.
Pacific's Blackmon, had a goal and led the team with three shots. Adachi (1-1-0) earned his first clean sheet of the year.
San José State returns home for its next game. The Spartans host UC Davis on Wednesday, September 16 at 5:00 p.m. on Spartan Soccer Field.
SJSU (1-3-0) vs. Pacific (1-4-0)
Date: Sep 13, 2015 Attendance: 510
Weather: 84 degrees, light breeze
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
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SJSU................ 0 0 - 0
Pacific............. 1 2 - 3
SCORING SUMMARY:
- 26:16 PAC IM, Brian (2) (GALLARDE,Kalei) - crossed in by Gallarde, Im blasted it home left post
- 49:04 PAC LANGE,Gaku (2) (DE LA TORRE,Esteban) - Beat the defense and slid it home far post
- 70:12 PAC BLACKMON,Tristan (1) (OCHOA,Andres) - took a through ball from Ochoa and sloted it home far post
Shots: SJSU 15, Pacific 11
Saves: SJSU 3 (Espinoza, Emmanuel 3), Pacific 8 (ADACHI,Josh 8)