Gerardo Gonzalez (@GerardoG209) – Soccer Beat Reporter
SJSU men’s soccer (6-3-2, 2-0-1 WAC) defeated UNLV (1-6-6, 0-3-2 WAC) 3-1 on Friday night in Las Vegas.
The Spartans hit the jackpot first as sophomore midfielder Beau Leroux scored in the seventh minute of the match.
It was a competitive game for the rest of the first half, as both teams each only had one corner kick each and four saves in total before halftime.
Throughout the second half, the Rebels kept putting pressure on the Spartans. In the 52nd minute, UNLV senior midfielder Nico Clasen tied the game up on a penalty kick.
It was the Rebels’ sixth penalty goal scored this season.
SJSU freshman forward Anthony Guzman scored a one-on-one goal assisted by graduate midfielder Finlay Wood two minutes later to put the Spartans up front 2-1. It was Guzman’s first career goal.
While SJSU senior goalkeeper David Sweeney only had one save in the second half, it was important because it kept the Spartans ahead in the game with momentum. They added 12 shots throughout the second half, double what they had in the first half.
In the 75th minute, Leroux scored his second goal of the game to put the Spartans up 3-1.
Leroux is quickly becoming the leader this SJSU men’s soccer team needs, as he leads the WAC in shots with 35 and is third in goals scored with seven.
“The pace of the game was excellent and I thought the way we scored our goals were superb… overall that was a fabulous performance and I am very happy. We want to finish the weekend with another good performance against Utah Tech,” said SJSU head coach Simon Tobin.
SJSU men’s soccer looks to continue its winning streak as it faces Utah Tech at Lancer Soccer Field on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 12:00 p.m.