Gerardo Gonzalez (@GerardoG209) – Soccer Beat Reporter
The No. 2 San Jose State men’s soccer (10-5-4, WAC 5-2-2) lost to No. 5 California Baptist University (11-6-3, WAC 4-3-2) 3-1 in penalties on Sunday afternoon.
SJSU and CBU met at the Spartan Soccer Complex earlier in the season and CBU handed the Spartans’ their first WAC loss of the season in a 1-0 ball game.
Both teams looked to get ahead early in the game by playing with speed and creating chances. However, CBU had the upper hand with six shots towards goal against four of SJSU.
In the last minutes of the first half, the Lancers had a one-on-one opportunity in which senior goalkeeper David Sweeney blocked a clear goal scoring opportunity to keep the game tied before the break.
It was a close match in which neither side did caused much danger to the opposition.
In the second half, the Spartans played more compactly and created opportunities that made them much more dangerous.
SJSU had nine shots towards goal that junior goalkeeper Nolan Premack miraculously saved, including an incredible back-to-back stop. Premack completed the second half with five saves.
The match became tactical on both sides of the field with 37 fouls, including seven yellow cards. This impacted the flow of the game, with the midfield being heavily contested.
The first 90 minutes of the match ended as a draw 0-0. Both teams failed to be effective on the last touch and the goalkeepers did their jobs to the fullest.
20 minutes of extra time were needed to find a winner in this WAC championship game.
The first 10 minutes were quiet with little to no dangerous occasions. SJSU managed to get two shots at goal, but CBU remained poised.
A game of chess was underway for the last 10 minutes of extra time. Having possession of the ball and waiting to attack at the right moment is what both teams looked to achieve.
SJSU and CBU exchanged the ball back and forth as fouls were committed. With only two shots in total and the time ticking, a champion was to be decided by penalties.
The Spartans kicked first and missed their shot. The Lancers were successful in all of their first three shots.
SJSU needed to score to keep the kicks alive, however, graduate midfielder Herminio Padilla missed it over the crossbar.
CBU were proclaimed as 2022 WAC Tournament Champions with the score of 3-1 by penalties. Securing its first title in history.
“I didn’t expect for us to be effective in the WAC this year. We lost some of our firepower, so for us this season it was a success. But also a disappointment, no matter how rosy the season was. It ended in disappointment for me and the players,” said SJSU head coach Simon Tobin after the final.
A heartbreak for SJSU as they finished the season as the No. 2 seed in the WAC and made it to the final.
They lost their fourth final in program history in a tough contested match to the end, unable to get the final job done.