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Spartans Unable To Complete Late Comeback In Regular Season Finale

SEATTLE – San José State competed well in Saturday's regular season finale before ultimately being overwhelmed by first-place Seattle University. 

The Redhawks, who entered the match having already clinched the WAC regular-season title, handed the Spartans a 3-1 defeat to remain undefeated in conference play. 

The match marked an end to a challenging stretch of league action as head coach Simon Tobin's team played its final three matches on the road. Traveling 4,679 miles over the course of the road trip, the club earned results in each of its first two contests heading into this weekend. 

Seattle University broke through for its first goal of the afternoon in the 32nd minute and then began to put the match out of reach with a penalty kick strike less just 90 seconds into the second stanza.

SJSU did control the ball and possession for much of the final 45, at one point putting four shots on goal in less than a minute. It ended the day with 10 shots, six of which were put on frame. 



Midfielder Nicolas Brenes came off the bench to lead the team with five shots while juniors Rodolfo Castro and Willy Miranda each added a pair. 

Castro leads the club with 54 shots as the team enters postseason play next week. 

It was Miranda who got his side on the board in the match's 83rd minute, taking advantage of a late penalty kick with a powerful strike that sent the ball past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The midfielder out of Mexico has now tallied five points in 13 appearances on the 2019 campaign. 



Not willing to go quietly into the rainy Seattle afternoon, San José State did get off four shots and earned a corner kick in the contest's final four minutes. Each chance was turned away, however, sealing the deal on the Redhawks victory. 

The Spartans now turn their attention to the postseason, which begins on Wednesday in the WAC Tournament at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. The program has finished as the conference's runner-up in each of the last two seasons and is back in the event for a third consecutive year.