Oct. 29, 2017
San Jose, Calif.----- Andy Rios' penalty kick in the 69th minute helped San Jose State University to a 4-3 win over University of Kansas City in a Western Athletic Conference men's soccer match.
Winning at home for the first time in five matches and in a comeback manner for the first time in 2017, San Jose State (6-10-1, 4-4-1 WAC) recorded a season high four goals on a season high 20 shots in the match.
Jeremy Romero scored two game-tying goals for the Spartans. In eighth minute of the first half, Romero tied the match, 1-1, on an assist from Carlos Valdovinos. Romero scored again, his ninth goal of the season, by getting a pass from his teammate Jonathan Partida in the 60th minute of the match for a 2-2 tie.
San Jose State took its first lead in the match, 3-2, in the 67th minute when Eduardo Buenfil found the cross ball from Zach Penner. It was Buenfil's second goal of the season.
"We are hoping to get into the WAC tournament. This was the game where I thought it was a 'Cup' final, two teams fighting to get into the WAC tournament," said San Jose State head coach Simon Tobin.
"I couldn't have done that (score) like that (myself). As I have said before, it is a team game. I was placed in a position where I can score a goal for my team," said Romero, the team's leading goal scorer.
For Rios, the game-winner was his second penalty kick of the season. He converted one earlier in the 3-2 non-conference victory over UC Davis.
The win, San Jose State's fourth in the last five matches, moved the Spartans into a fourth-place tie with CSU Bakersfield. The top seven teams in the 11-team conference advance to the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas next month. San Jose State now has 13 points in the WAC standings, but has not clinched a tournament berth.
The Kangaroos (5-9-3, 3-6-0 WAC) are in ninth place in the standings.
SJSU hosts CSU Bakersfield in the final regular season match for both teams on Friday, November 3 at the Spartan Soccer Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. PT. It will be Senior Day for Valdovinos and Partida of the Spartans.