By Ryan Vermont (@Your_Pal_Ryan)
Rust, while figurative in most sports, undeniably exists.
The San Jose State women’s soccer team spent its season opener wiping off that rust as it fell late to No. 24 Santa Clara University 2-1 at Stevens Stadium.
“I was really proud of them,” said SJSU head coach Lauren Hanson. “They came out here and competed and played hard and everything we’ve been working on defensively we brought to the table and it was really fun to see.”
The first half was dominated by the nationally ranked Broncos who got on the board first in the 25th minute.
The deficit could have been worse for the Spartans it wasn’t for sophomore goalkeeper Ana Calero who made 10 saves in the game, 7 in the first half, keeping the match close heading into the break.
“She obviously made some great saves, was very vocal in the back, did a great job communicating with our back line, and was solid back there,” Hanson said.
But there were adjustments made at half, and SJSU looked like a new team.
Within six minutes, the game was tied on senior Yvette Cuellar’s first collegiate goal. She just needed to get a solid touch to it after fellow senior Yaritza Arista danced around her defender and passed it to Cuellar’s side.
“In the second half, we came out with a vengeance and we knew we could play with them and get after them and that’s what we did,” Hanson said.
Cuellar missed all of last season with a torn ACL, and the goal was evidently a special one for her and her teammates.
In the end, the Broncos showed why they were a top-25 team.
After a continued stint of possession and pressure in the Spartans defensive third, they got second goal past Calero in the 88th minute.
The full-time whistle was blown shortly after play resumed.
The Spartans displayed in spurts that they could compete with one of the best teams in the west, but didn’t for a large portion of the game. If the players can take the positives from these types of games and develop into a more consistent side, they could be in that upper echelon of teams.
The season continues on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. against UC Santa Barbara at the Spartan Soccer Complex.