By: Jasmina Lara (@lara_jasmina06) – Spear Reporter | SJSU sophomore goalkeeper Paige Fry slid to the bottom of the net for a save against University of New Mexico on Oct. 2. (Photo by Mohammad Najimi – Spear photographer)
San Jose State’s women’s soccer (1-7-3, 0-0-3 MW) drew 1-1 against University of New Mexico (5-2-3, 1-0-1 MW) on Thursday night, earning three straight results of draws in conference play since 2017.
The Spartans had a defensive match against the Lobos preventing any momentum or opportunities.
SJSU had only four shots, three of them on goal, compared to New Mexico’s 35 shots with seven on goal.
“We definitely have to find feet more than just kind of kicking the ball up,” junior forward Paige Pineda-Aliamus said. “I feel like there were moments in the game where we were really calm and composed and finding the connections.”
Throughout the first half the Lobos had 60% of possession, however, that did not stop the Spartans from bringing the intensity to prevent any momentum created.
Spartans junior forward Leslie Jacobo-Duran passed a through ball to Pineda-Aliamus, however, it passed her allowing Lobos junior goalkeeper Jasmin Gonzalez-Rutt to stop it.
With less than 10 minutes into the match, a foul on Spartans junior defender Carmen Hinton awarded the Lobos a penalty kick.
New Mexico junior midfielder Alysa Whelchel kicked the penalty kick but was denied by sophomore goalkeeper Paige Fry, keeping the match scoreless.
Fry had six saves overall in the match.
“Honestly, something in me just told me to dive left, so I did,” Fry said. “I remember that there’s more pressure on the striker than there is on me.”
It was an intense fight throughout as both teams tried to gain the majority of possession.
“They attacked us well, but we were very strong in our one-on-one defendings,” SJSU head coach Sonia Curvelo said.
Before the first half ended, Pineda-Alimus had a shot on goal to give the Spartans the lead but was off target.
Fry made important saves and had constant support from her backline.
In the 41st minute, Fry had another save, preventing Lobos junior forward Nicole Anderson from scoring a goal at the bottom center of the net.
Keeping up with the momentum, Fry blocked New Mexico’s corner kick in the 42nd minute.
Both teams entered the second half with the same intensity putting constant pressure on one another.
Being the first to get on the board was New Mexico’s senior forward Alèjandra Puerto, who was named offensive player of the week on Sept. 22, scoring at the bottom left of goal.
In the 59th minute, the Spartans tied the game from junior forward Daisy Torres sending a pass to Jacobo-Duran sending a cross to Pineda-Aliamus to score by a header.
The first yellow card of the match was on New Mexico’s redshirt freshman midfielder Gabby Beaudry for unsporting in the 61st minute.
Hinton and freshman defender Alexis Dueker blocked two back-to-back shots by Anderson.
“We had so many block shots. At one point there were like three girls between the striker the ball and me,” Fry said. “It’s just that we love to see our girls putting their bodies on the line.”
SJSU sophomore midfielder Lillyana Rodriguez earned a yellow card for unsporting in the 86th minute.
Even the constant possession for the Lobos, the Spartans backline shut down each opportunity.
“I really want us to close out a game. I think that’s something that we really want to shoot for,” Curvelo said. “But I’m very proud of the group in regards to the growth and how they handled the pressure in this match today.”
Continuing conference play and hoping for a win, SJSU faces Grand Canyon University at noon on Sunday at the Spartan Soccer Complex.
