By Lindsey Boyd (@lindsboyd3):
Defending NCAA Champions, No. 3 University of California (15-1), re-loaded shot after shot against No. 16 San Jose State (9-8) to win 20-6. The Golden Bears pulled ahead early with a 9-0 run and had a 4-1 lead within the first three minutes of the match.
“They are the defending champs so I think that kind of got to us a little so we were just in that mindset,” said sophomore 2-meter Finn Pardon.
Pardon scored half of SJSU’s goals. He and junior utility Bendeguz Toth were the only ones to score in the first two periods. Pardon had back-to-back goals in the third, but it wasn’t enough to dig the Spartans out of their 17-5 deficit.
“Starting off with defense, we need to not let 20 goals in,” Pardon said. “20 goals is too much, even against a solid team like this. We need to get better on our six on fives chances also.”
Senior attacker and 2016 Rio Olympian Luca Cupido led Cal with 5 goals and sophomore attacker Spencer Farrar added another three. The speed and power of their shots were difficult for sophomore goalie TJ Palmer to contain.
Sophomore utility Giacomo Lovatelli snapped in a quick shot with two minutes remaining in the game to close the game 20-6.
“I was able to get it quick shot in which felt pretty good, but last minute I couldn’t really do anything about it,” Lovatelli said.
The team said it’s play was not affected by the smoke of the California wildfires.
SJSU returns home to play Cal Baptist at 9 a.m. and Harvard at 2:20 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. They will then face Wagner and Loyola Marymount Sunday, Oct. 22 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.