In one of San José State’s most physical games of the season, the Spartans (4-3-4, 1-0-1 WAC) tied conference foe Utah Valley (1-5-4, 0-1-1 WAC) 1-1 at home on Sunday afternoon.
The two squads combined for 20 fouls and 4 yellow cards.
Sophomore midfielder Angel Iniguez scored SJSU’s only goal of the day and goalkeeper David Sweeney saved 4 shots.
“We were at home and the onus was on us,” said SJSU head coach Simon Tobin on the team’s tie. “We started really well, but they slowly got themselves into the game.”
The Spartans offense came out the gate fast. In the 5th minute, Junior midfielder Emiliano Corona found senior forward Isaac Lomeli on the left wing of the box.
Lomeli had a good look at the goal, but dribbled towards the middle of the box where he found Iniguez open on the right wing. Iniguez dazzled a Utah Valley defender with a step over to his left foot and shot a slow-rolling ball into the right side of the net to put the Spartans up 1-0.
“It was just overall a great press by the boys,” Iniguez said. “Isaac made an unselfish play.”
Utah Valley scored the equalizer in the 32nd minute. Junior forward Kendi Bellini cut to the right side of the goal and made a left-footed shot that whipped around Sweeney’s body and into the left side of the goal.
The two teams went into intermission tied 1-1.
In one of the stranger moments of the match, the referees threatened to call the game early in the second half after the crowd loudly booed a foul call on the Spartans. SJSU announcers had to tell the crowd that any discriminatory language would lead to fans being escorted off the field.
Both teams had chances in the second half to score the go-ahead goal, but couldn’t convert. After receiving a free kick on a yellow card in the 67th minute, Utah Valley defender Floris Van Nijnanten shot a high slicer that just missed the top of the goal post.
In the 75th minute, SJSU junior midfielder Mario Barocio found a spot near the middle of the box, but his shot hit the top crossbar and bounced out of bounds.
With under a minute left in the match, sophomore forward Riccardo Scarafia attempted a shot on the left wing. There was plenty of contact as Scarafia followed through, but the referees let the players play on which caused uproar from Tobin and the SJSU bench.
With the tie, the Spartans receive a point and have not lost in their first two conference play matches.
Tobin said a tie wasn’t the result the Spartans wanted, but was happy the team was able to receive a point in conference play.
“We got a point,” Tobin said. “We would have liked three, but we’re content.”
SJSU will return to action at 7 p.m. Thursday against UNLV at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
