Ethan Ndachi (@EthanNdachi) – Content editor | Redshirt junior defender Dane Pendleton sends CBU defender to the ground in WAC semifinal (Photo by Nathaniel Solomon – Freelance photographer)
San Jose State men’s soccer (12-3-4, 4-2-2 WAC) clinched its ninth-consecutive spot in the Western Athletic Conference final after a cinematic 3-2 win in overtime against regular season winners California Baptist University (10-4-3, 4-2-1 WAC) on Wednesday night.
The Spartans have won a season double over the Lancers, having beat them 3-1 to start conference play on Oct. 4th.
After beating San Diego State on route to the WAC championship final last season, SJSU have defeated the number one seed in back-to-back seasons.
SJSU have now also won 12 games in a season for the first time since 2003.
After entering overtime, captain and senior defender Niklas Dossmann found himself in CBU’s box and poked the ball to sophomore Arnold Matshazi.
Matshazi would do what Matshazi does and poach the goal to silence the home crowd at CBU Soccer Field in the 93rd minute.
“I started crying,” Matshazi said. “It was such a team performance.”
The goal makes Matshazi’s 12th of the season, and his sixth game winner for SJSU, already establishing himself as a cult hero for Spartan spectators.
Matshazi now has the most goals in a season for the Spartans since Randy Poggio, who scored 14 goals in 2003.
“I always back myself to score,” Matshazi said. “But I think the feeling of scoring one at sudden death, I don’t think anything can compare. That was one of the best moments this season.”
Dossman’s assist would be the first of his career, a great way to put a stamp on a captain’s performance after making key tackles during the match and almost scoring for SJSU at the other end.
This win marks the Spartans’ first victory in overtime since Mar. 31 2021, in a 3-2 victory over Utah Valley.
“We’ve got three or four [match winners], that’s a thing you need to break games when you’re playing against great teams,” SJSU head coach Simon Tobin said.
The game was highly competitive, SJSU had 17 shots to CBU’s 14 with both schools having six shots on goal. Five of SJSU’s shots were made in overtime, showing the grit and determination to compete even at the distance.
“It had to be a game that would come down to a moment like that,” associate head coach Jesus Sanchez said. “Just a really high level college game, we’re grateful that we came out on top.”
SJSU were chasing the game after CBU junior midfielder Adolfo Pino opened the scoring for the Lancers in the 32nd minute with a volley to fly past redshirt senior goalkeeper Edgar Guerra.
10 minutes later, the Spartans earned a corner kick which was taken by junior midfielder Gilberto Rivera to find junior midfielder Angel Fernandez. Fernandez headed it square to redshirt junior Dane Pendleton, who made no mistake to equalize for SJSU.
“I think the first half I was definitely going off,” Pendleton said. “Overtime I think we just wanted it more. It was a team performance.”
Pendleton’s goal was his first in his SJSU career, and has been a shining light for the Spartans this season, especially in the WAC championship. Boasting two assists to cap a statement performance in the quarterfinal vs. the Aztecs.
“Dane can probably play every position,” Sanchez said. “He’s very smart, very technical and he’s played [as a] 10 probably his whole life, and as soon as we ask him to play left back he has progressively gotten better.”
Rivera’s assist was his seventh of the season while Fernandez’s assist was his third for the season, and second in the WAC tournament.
SJSU’s midfield was on full display.
In the 69th minute, senior midfielder Angel Iniguez stepped up to take a freekick after Matshazi was fouled just outside the Lancers 18-yard box, and curled it in the top of goal to bring the lead back to the Spartans.
Iniguez’s goal was his ninth of the season, bringing him up to fourth in the WAC top goalscorer standings.
Less than three minutes later however, a huge breakaway started from CBU’s goalkeeper junior Hugo Do Rego who threw it long to sophomore striker Blake D’Agostino. D’Agostino would then pick out freshman winger Liam Jones on the break to tie the game up.
Tobin highlighted the back and forth nature of the game, and thought it was an enjoyment to watch from a neutral fans perspective.
“Either team could have won it,” Tobin said. “I thought it was just an absolute brilliant game.”
The game couldn’t have been won without the whole team, senior forward Anthony Guzman, sophomore winger Jordi Tortell Daly, sophomore midfielder Neo Ruiz, and freshman midfielder Fernando Duarte all came off the bench to work to bring SJSU over the line.
“We preached our depth, we preached our squad,” Sanchez said. “I still believe there’s going to be a moment for guys that come off the bench to make an impact, and hopefully a memory to remember.”
Out of the 14 Spartans that have made appearances from the bench this season, 10 have also started at least one game, showing that they have the trust of the staff and the quality to compete.
SJSU will enter the final to face Grand Canyon University, having drawn against them in the regular season, the Spartans will look to earn the win this time around to win them their first conference championship since 2003.
“We’re looking forward to going to the championship,” Tobin said. “It’s going to be a great final.”
Coming near the end of Tobin’s journey with SJSU, the Spartan soccer players would love nothing more than to send their gaffer out with a WAC championship and a trip to the NCAA championship tournament.
“We just gotta win it for Simon, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Pendleton said.
The Spartans will take on the Antelopes in the WAC championship tournament final at 1 p.m., Saturday Nov. 15th in Riverside, Calif.
