By Carlos Jimenez (@carlosjimmenezz):
The Spartans (6-10-1, 4-4-1 WAC) head into their last match of the season against CSU Bakersfield (6-9-1, 4-4-1 WAC) with their sights set on securing a spot in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
Last year’s matchup resulted in a 2-1 loss on the road with junior forward Zach Penner being the lone Spartan goalscorer of the match.
The Spartans head into Friday’s match on a hot streak as they have won four of their last five games.
Most recently, the Spartans won a 4-3 thriller against the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a late-game penalty kick scored by junior defender Andy Rios.
Senior forward Jeremy Romero scored a brace which set his new career high for goals scored in a season at nine.
This recent hot streak has salvaged what has been, for the most part, an underwhelming season for the Spartans.
Although, last season, the Spartans finished with a 4-13-2 (3-6-1 WAC) record which they have already surpassed this season.
Only the top seven teams in the WAC will qualify for the tournament and the Spartans are currently in a three-way tie with CSU Bakersfield and Grand Canyon University with 13 points.
A Spartan win will secure a place in the tournament but a loss or a tie could leave them out if Grand Canyon University, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley and Utah Valley all win their next game.
SJSU missed out on the tournament last season following a season in which it came in as the sixth seed.
The Spartans will close out their regular season at home against CSU Bakersfield on Friday at 1 p.m. as they commemorate Romero. Carlos Valdovinos and Alexis Ocampo on senior day.
