SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Nikola Nikolic led No. 6 San Josè State (10-16, 0-6 GCC) in the first round of the GCC Tournament with one goal and two assists on nine shots. Despite the effort, SJSU fell to No. 3 UCSB (14-12, 3-2 GCC) in round one of the GCC Tournament 9-7.
The Final Chapter
- The Spartans had 31 shots on goal in comparison to just 26 shots on goal for UCSB.
- Mark Kis, Laszlo Szieben, Utku Karhan, Gal Haimovich, Bence Szabo and Niels Hofmeijer also all scored.
- Bende Pardi also had seven shots on goal of his own, a season high for the sophomore.
- Jamie Steingraf had six saves on the evening.
- The Spartans also outscored the Gauchos in the first and fourth quarters both starting and finishing the game strongly.
- SJSU and UCSB played against each other three times throughout the 2022 season.
Looking Back
- SJSU concluded their time in the Golden Coast Conference at the end of the 2022 season.
- The Spartan's longest winning streak was five games spanning from late October to early November during the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament and non-conference play, including wins over ranked opponents such as Harvard and George Washington.
- The Spartans played 26 total games, and they played 21 of the games against opponents ranked in the top 17, including the No. 1 team in the country twice.
- SJSU has consistently been ranked Top 10-15 in the country since the program's reinstatement in 2015.
- Pardi (second team), Szabo (Honorable Mention), Erik Duesund (All Freshman) and Javi Ibanez (All Freshman) were all named to the 2022 GCC All-Conference Team.
- Seniors Hofmeijer and Karhan conclude their time with the program as graduating seniors.
- Hofmeijer finished the season ranked third in the GCC in sprint wins with 43, first in sprint win percentage and top 10 in steals with 21 on the season.
- Karhan finished the season with seven scored goals and an assist in 2022 and finished as a three time Golden Coast Conference All-Academic Honoree.
- Pardi finished 2022 conference play ranked top five in the GCC for goals scored with 14, and total points with 19.
- Szabo finished the season as a one-time GCC Player Of the Week when he scored 12 goals leading the Spartans to four straight victories.
Up Next: The Spartans will turn their sights to the 2023 season following being eliminated from the GCC Tournament. In 2023, the Spartans will also be joining the West Coast Conference (WCC) along with six other teams. The complete 2023 schedule will be announced at a later date.
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