By Jose Trujillo
No doubt, he will be missed. San Jose State’s leader in goals, shots, shots on goal and points last season, Jeremy Romero, has graduated.
With his exit, Romero leaves SJSU with a huge void that will need to be filled, specifically on the attack.
In 2017, the Spartans netted 25 goals with Romero responsible for 10. In other words, Romero was 2.5 goals away from scoring 50 percent of all Spartan goals.
This means if SJSU wants to have any success this season, fourth year head coach Simon Tobin will have two options: Rely on his returning starters to step up offensively and spread the scoring or find the 2018 version of Romero.
The candidates?
How about senior forward Zach Penner. He finished tied for second in scoring with three goals on 10 shots in a limited 759 minutes of action.
Or maybe Max Allen. The sophomore midfielder from England led the team in assists with five, but Tobin may need him to take more of a scoring role this season.
Then there are the newcomers.
Forwards Isaiah Kalani de Dios and freshman Jered Mariani, along with midfielder Willy Miranda were all recruited for their scoring ability.
“He is a true No. 10 who can pull the strings in the midfield,” Tobin said to SJSU Athletics about Miranda.
The Salinas native was one of the top scorers in the California Community College system in 2016. His 19 goals were good for 11th in the state and finished 14th overall with 43 points.
If any new recruit should feel welcomed, it would be Miranda whose younger brother, Eduardo Miranda, is entering his sophomore season with the Spartans.
For the 2018 squad, finding their scoring punch will prove to be the biggest challenge. But on the opposite side of the pitch, the team should feel as confident as any in the WAC.
After starting 2-8-1 last season, the Spartans turned it on defensively and finished on a 7-3 stretch thanks in part to the backline’s stout play.
Led by senior defender Andy Rios, the Spartans shutout their opponents six times and allowed only six goals in the final 10 games of the season.
That type of defensive play propelled SJSU all the way to the WAC Tournament Championship game where a 2-1 defeat to Seattle University ended all hopes of a national tournament bid.
This type of success is very important, because it is something the team and Tobin can build from.
The possibility exists that Tobin may have to realize replacing Romero’s productivity with one player, or even multiple players may not be feasible, and that’s just a testament to how much a skilled player Romero was offensively.
If so, Tobin, the team and Spartan fans should be able to find continued consistency in the midfield and backline.
With nine returning starters, seven seniors and one of the strongest backlines in all the WAC, SJSU looks to be in shape for an improved season.
After finishing the 2017 campaign two games under .500, the 2018 Spartans should have no problem achieving a record above mediocrity.
Expectations are higher this season.
Anything less than a first-round win in the WAC Tournament should be considered a disappointment for the Spartans.
The 2018 season kicks-off Thursday 4 p.m. at home against Cal State Monterey Bay.
SEASON PREDICTION
9-8-1