By Nate Person
In a match against Kansas State, San Jose State women’s soccer put up a shutout in a scoreless draw.
This was the first meeting between SJSU (0-2-2) and K-State (3-1-1).
The intensity from whistle-to-whistle could have led anyone to believe these two teams were long-time rivals. Although the match was rife with great scoring opportunities, the team struggled offensively.
The Spartans were aware of the numerous missed shots this season but didn’t letting it affect their game.
“It gets a little bit frustrating,” said senior goalkeeper Paige Simoneau. “I have trust in my team, and they trust in me. The goals will come, I’m not too worried about it.”
Simoneau finished the game with 6 saves.
The first half began with a lot of energy by both the Spartans and the Wildcats. The energy for the Kansas State players immediately became argumentative toward referees.
The Spartans’ energy however, was focused on the game, rather than the calls being made on the pitch.
“No matter what the referee does, we’re going to keep our own game,” said forward Jamilecxth Becerra.
The junior had eight shots during the match, putting two on goal.
Even though SJSU is left searching for its first win of the season, the post game energy of the players and coaches was very optimistic.
“We’ve been focusing a lot on defending and getting a shutout,” said head coach Lauren Hanson. “I’m really proud of that today.”
The Spartans are averaging one-half of a goal scored per game this season. They averaged 1.4 last year. This could be alarming for the coaching staff, but that hasn’t been case.
“We’re just trying to find our rhythm right now,” Hanson said. “It sometimes takes a while to do that.”
This was a sentiment reflected by Becerra as well.
“I feel like we are tight,” she said. “We’re still continuing to grow as a team.”
The Spartans will look to put all the pieces together when Cal State Fullerton comes to San Jose Thursday at 7 p.m.
Follow Nate on Twitter @PersonNathanael