By Carlos Reyes (@CarlosReyesSJ) – Spear Reporter
San Jose State men’s water polo (3-4, 0-0 GCC) sought to finish its appearance at the Aggie Roundup on a high note as they faced off against Occidental College (1-6,0-0 SCIAC) in Davis, Calif. on Sunday, Sept. 18. The Spartans’ offense was in full control, as they left the pool with a 19-6 win.
First Half
Graduate center Niels Hofmeijer won the sprint for SJSU to claim possession. Hofmeijer has yet to lose a sprint this season, accumulating an impressive record of 21-0 in opening battles.
The Spartans set the tone right out of the gate, with a 3-0 scoring run in the opening minutes of the match.
Utility junior Mark Kis opened up the score line with the help of utility sophomore Laszlo Szieben. SJSU quickly followed with another point, as utility sophomore Bende Pardi continued his scoring ways with a strike that rattled the Tigers’ net.
A successful penalty shot by utility junior Gal Haimovich added to the Spartans’ barrage, with the first period ending 5-1.
Kis showed no signs of slowing down, as he completed his hat trick with two more goals that stunned the Tigers’ defense. Szieben provided another goal and showed off his play making abilities with an amazing assist to Kis.
Utility sophomore Bence Szabo took advantage of the power play and put the ball in the back of the net to put the Spartans ahead 10-2 at the half.
Second Half
The Spartans continued to separate from the competition, with two goals from utility sophomore Itay Nemet and freshman attacker Kai Young to start the third period.
Sophomore driver Bendeguz Melkuhn added his name to the score sheet with a blazing shot that awarded SJSU with a 15 point lead to close out the quarter.
The blue and gold slowed down in the final minutes of the match, with Nemet scoring their only point as the whistle blew.
At its heart, the Spartans put on an offensive masterclass in their final game at the Aggie Roundup. A lot of positives can be taken away from the team’s performance as they get set to take on Long Beach State University on Friday, Sept. 23 in Stanford, Calif.