By Hugo Vera – Staff Writer
The San Jose State women’s soccer team (4-5-2) tours the state of Nevada this weekend in matches against the Nevada Wolf Pack and the UNLV Rebels.
The Spartans look to secure much needed wins to boost their 3-1 Mountain West conference standings.
Last week’s matchup against visiting MW powerhouses San Diego State and New Mexico resulted in a 0-1 loss followed by an 1-0 win, respectively.
“Our goal is just to win the Mountain West. We’ve done it before and we can do it again going forward” head coach Lauren Hanson said following the San Diego State loss.
Key SJSU players to look out for will include captain and forward Jamilecxth Becerra. She leads the team with three goals and one assist.
Becerra’s offensive talent will be supplemented by fellow forward Darriell Franklin and defender Hannah Mathews, who have a combined three goals this season.
The offense will be rivaled by Nevada (4-6-2, 1-3-2 MW) forward Payton Lieb, who has also scored three goals this season in matchups against Southern Utah and the Idaho Vandals.
Just 439 miles south of Reno, the UNLV Lady Rebels (7-4-2, 1-2-1 MW) enter weekend play with a strong 7-4-2 record with a 1-2-1 record in conference play.
Rebel senior forward Caitlyn Kreutz has five goals this season and is narrowly trailed by fellow forward Kayla Brinkman, who has four.
The Spartan defense will rely heavily on veteran goalkeeper Paige Simoneau and defender Kristen Amarikwa.
The senior has accumulated 31 saves this season and was named a two-time Mountain West Championship MVP in 2015, as well as Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2017.
Simoneau will have support for Amarikwa, who has logged in 1,047 minutes of playing time and four shots on goal this season.
Kickoff against the University of Nevada is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Reno, followed by a matchup at UNLV on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
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