By: Mohammad Najimi (@mnajimisjsu) – Spear Reporter | Spartans’ freshman defender Alexis Dueker attempts to throw the ball to a teammate on Oct. 12. (Photo by Cassandra Washington – Spear photographer)
In a back-and-forth affair at the Spartan Soccer Complex, the San Jose State women’s soccer team fell 3-2 to San Diego State on Sunday afternoon — but junior forward Paige Pineda-Aliamus made the game one to remember with one of the best goals of the year.
At the 56th minute mark, sophomore defender Charlotte Memoly sent an outlet pass to Pineda-Aliamus.
The forward accepted the pass, dribbled towards the box and shot from the outside of the box.
The shot curved into the middle-right part of the net, a great finish that gave SJSU a 2-1 lead and raised the home crowd.
“I knew the defense was going to drop, so I decided to take the shot,” Pineda-Aliamus said. “I’m so happy it went in. I saw the goalie itching towards her front post, so I felt really good about it.”
The tally showcased the Spartans’ proficiency in scoring and the type of swift decisive action head coach Sonia Curvelo has emphasized throughout conference play.
While she did yield two goals in the second half of the match, Curvelo said she was happy with the way her forward scored on the chance.
“When she got into those spaces that we wanted them to work in because the back line of SDSU drops a little bit,” Curvelo said. “So, when she got in there, that’s why she had time to dribble and take the shot outside the box and make the goal count for us. So, I was happy with her getting on the scoreboard, shooting outside the box, and making a play there.”
The Spartans battled from start to finish, maintaining spells of attack link and build-up along the midfield.
Pineda-Aliamus’s goal was a highlight in a game marked by back-and-forth action and close chances on both sides.
“I felt like there were moments that we connected together, we played off each other really well and we talked,” Pineda-Aliamus said. “And once that stopped, it kinda went south.”
Freshman midfielder Joliye Brass echoed that the team’s energy lifted after Pineda-Aliamus’s goal, noting how the score boosted the morale of the team and showed the determination of the forward.
“That goal really helped us. It helped our confidence boost,” Brass said. “I thought she did really well today, especially going forward and taking her chances. You can tell that she wanted it. That came onto our team and we wanted to get goals too.”
While the Spartans couldn’t hold onto their lead, Curvelo said the focus now shifts toward regrouping and building off the positives from the performance — primarily the team’s attack being improved upon and the resiliency displayed under key situations.
“It’s one of those things that I really want them to celebrate a win,” Curvelo said. “Like, a win at home. I think that’s important. And that’s what we’re going to look for next week.”
SJSU will look to bounce back when they host Colorado State at noon on Sunday, Oct. 19 at the Spartan Soccer Complex.
