By Lindsey Boyd (@lindsboyd3):
The Golden Coast Conference leaders No 5. University of the Pacific (16-5, 5-0 GCC) went on a 10-0 run to defeat No. 11 San Jose State (13-13, 1-4 GCC) 21-16. UOP remains undefeated in the conference with the win.
The slow start for SJSU is attributed to the second and third string players who started the game.
“Some guys didn’t get in to warm up early enough… then when we put them [starters] back in we started to catch up,” said head coach Bruce Watson.
Freshman 2-Meter Luka Cupic ended UOP’s 10 point run in the second quarter when he scored the Spartan’s first point. Freshman Jacob Mercep and junior driver Cade Baldridge added a pair of goals at the end of the second period.
Unlike the 8-0 first quarter, the Spartans were only outscored 4-3 in the second and ended the half down 12-3. The Tigers’ Luke Pavillard led in scoring with five goals against goalie Crispin Hawkins. Hawkins had to replace injured sophomore goalie TJ Palmer.
“It’s hard. We are playing our third or fourth playing goalie right now,” Watson said. “Our number one goalie [is] out on a concussion.”
Despite not having Palmer, SJSU held UOP to nine goals in the second half and matched them in scoring with nine goals themselves. Mercep led with four goals, while junior utility Bendeguez Toth and sophomore driver Ben Hauschild scored two aggressive goals off a fast break and quick assist.
The team ended the night with a meeting to discuss their goals for next weekend’s conference tournament.
“We started bad. I don’t know why,” Toth said. That’s why we had the team meeting right now to try to avoid that in conference and try to play the entire game the way we played the second half.”
SJSU will now head to Irvine to play as the fifth seed in the Golden Coast Conference Tournament starting Friday, Nov. 17 against the fourth seed, Long Beach State. SJSU will try and redeem itself after losing to Long Beach earlier this year on a last second shot.