By Sara Biela – Content Editor
San Jose State men’s soccer will travel a total of 2,631 miles to conclude its three-game road trip against Houston Baptist University and the University of Missouri at Kansas City this weekend.
The Spartans (3-4-1, 1-0-0 WAC) look to stay undefeated in conference play against the Huskies (3-2-2, 1-0-0 WAC) on Friday and the Kangaroos (1-6-0, 0-1-0 WAC) on Sunday.
SJSU has won the last three meetings against HBU, two of those being in Houston.
Last season, the team shut out the Huskies 1-0. Goalkeeper David Heredia secured his first shutout in a Spartan uniform.
An opposing player to keep an eye on is midfielder Gianluca Natera. He leads the Huskies with four goals, three assists, 11 points and 12 shots on goal.
Spartan goalkeeper Alex Clewis will look to keep Natera silent as the senior leads the league with 43 saves on the year.
SJSU will need to find a way to produce SOG against one of the best defensive teams in the conference. HBU’s 1.05 goals-against average is third-best in the league.
Starting goalkeeper Jorge Cabrera has recorded 31 saves in six games. The sophomore has also notched three shutouts, while only giving up six goals on the season.
The Huskies remain unbeaten at home with a record of 2-0-2. This matchup gives the Spartans the opportunity to spoil that streak, due to their recent success in Houston.
After Friday’s game, the Spartans head north to Kansas City to take on the Roos.
SJSU has defeated UMKC in its last three meetings, which includes a 4-3 win in San Jose last season and a 2-1 win in Missouri in 2016.
There are currently five Roo players that are tied with a team-high of one goal. Midfielder/forward Pandelis Popgeorgiev and defender Antoine Precheur are also tied with four SOG each.
UMKC’s lone goalkeeper Filippo Errico has tallied 31 saves, but has given up 17 goals in seven games.
The Spartans will look to capitalize on the Roo defense as they’ve allowed 48 SOG out of 86 attempts.
Defender Omar Lemus and midfielder Willy Miranda have combined for seven of SJSU’s 11 goals. Lemus leads the team with four goals, three assists and 11 points.
Kick off at Sorrels Field against HBU is at 5 p.m. and Sunday’s matchup against UMKC starts at 10 a.m.
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