After dominating the first half and scoring two goals, the San Jose State women’s club soccer team lost control and allowed Stanford to catch up, ending in a 2–2 tie Saturday at CEFCU Stadium.
The tie maintains SJSU’s position in second place in Division II NorCal Women’s Soccer, with two aggregate wins and two aggregate ties, according to West Coast Soccer Association.
This places the Spartans immediately ahead of the Cardinal and only behind Sacramento State.
Senior midfielder Elizabeth Moreno said she wants the Spartans to finish their season strong so they can remain undefeated and take first place in the league.
“So we just need to get one more win and simply take it home,” she said.
The Spartans pushed aggressively in the first half, scoring two goals and spending most of the first half near the Cardinal’s goal.
Senior midfielder Lourdes Rojas led the offensive charge at the end of the first half, attempting several shots in the final minutes before halftime only for Stanford’s goalie to catch the ball.
After a slow first 10 minutes, head coach Andy Moya said the team started communicating and created opportunities to score.
“Once they got rhythm, we started playing really well and created a lot of chances,” he said.
The dynamic between the teams flipped in the second half, with Stanford catching up by scoring two goals after halftime.
Moya said a lack in communication allowed Stanford to steal the ball as SJSU pushed forward.
“[Stanford] had a small breakthrough where we weren’t organized and they were able to slip forward a pass,” Moya said.
Junior defender Serena Walls said SJSU became overconfident and no longer had “something to prove” in the second half.
“We weren’t communicating as well, I feel, and the vibe was just off,” she said.
Moya said Stanford scoring its second goal as a result of a penalty kick was unfortunate and that SJSU played very well throughout the game.
“I thought the girls deserved to win, but you know, we’ll take the tie,” Moya said.
The final minutes of the game saw both teams frantically pushing forward, keeping the goalies busy with frequent shots on both goals.
Stanford will always bring strong competition and physicality to its games, Moya said.
“I thought we did a good job of matching the intensity even when they scored,” he said.
The game ended with SJSU missing an opportunity to score on a penalty kick, with Moreno’s kick sailing over the top of Stanford’s net.
Moreno said no team in its league will be able to beat SJSU if it can follow through during games and play consistently.
Although SJSU usually sees Stanford as its main competition, Moreno said the Spartans have improved enough to be a threatening opponent.
“They should see us as the team to beat now,” she said.
Walls said SJSU will be the “team to beat” after another semester.
Moreno wants the team to use the tie against Stanford to learn and prepare for its next game.
“If we win, hopefully we get first place in the league,” she said.
On Nov. 24, SJSU is scheduled to play an away game against Sacramento State, the current leading team in the division.
Walls said she wants the Spartans to get to first in the league and that it all depends on its next game.
“Our next game is, like, gonna be the one,” she said.
