By Casey Geier
San Jose State closed out the team’s preseason with an undefeated record after mounting a late comeback against Sonoma State.
“This was the first game this preseason where I felt were weren’t really on point, were were kind of lackadaisical in every aspect,” said head coach Simon Tobin.
The Spartans were tied 1-1 at the half, and fell behind by one early in the second after the Spartans’ defense collapsed too early and left an open lead pass and shot for the opposing striker.
SJSU answered with a give-and-go finish by freshman midfielder Ronaldo Lomeli. He assisted on another goal by the Spartans shortly after to put his team ahead.
“Our coach has been telling the team to finish strong and it’s our last game so we thought why not let’s leave it all out there,” Lomeli said.
The Spartans kept control after taking the lead in the second, beating the Sea Wolves 3-2. Their offense looked more crisp and composed compared to how they played in the first, and it was their defense that tightened up to stop Sonoma State from scoring a late equalizer.
“There’s a real team unity with them, down 2-1 our team could have dropped but they responded well,” Tobin said.
Tobin was pleased with how his club played this offseason, being a thin squad with only two subs. The team is quite young, consisting of seven freshmen players, many of which who did not suit up during the fall.
Some of the notable wins this preseason for the Spartans were against UC Berkeley and San Francisco City at home. The team also had two ties on the road at UC Santa Barbara and Santa Clara.
Players have been focusing this offseason on fitness and working together as a team. Lomeli said he’s seen an improvement in the combination play with his teammates, as well as the strength on the defensive side of the ball.
The Spartans finished last season with a (4-13-2, 3-6-1 WAC) record and missed the WAC tournament for the first time since joining the division in 2013. Injuries throughout the year plagued the team and prevented them from gaining much momentum over the course of the season.
With six seniors graduating, seven freshman stepping into game time roles and 15 recruits being added before the season, the team will be looking to prove themselves as a division threat.
The first game of the season for the Spartans will be in late August against back-to-back national champions Stanford.